Final Late Late Show guests of the season include Saoirse Ronan, President Michael D Higgins

Ryan Tubridy's guests on the final Late Late Show of the 2020 season include Saoirse Ronan, actor Colin Farrell and President Michael D Higgins.

Speaking on his RTÉ radio 1 show this morning, the host said:

"We're going to have President Michael D Higgins with us on Friday night. Well not with us on Friday night - we're going to see him in Arás an Uachtaráin and interview him in the gardens there this week.

"We will also talk to the likes of Saoirse Ronan and Colin Farrell and others," Tubridy added.

"And as arguably important as they are, we'll also have members of the frontline joining us to salute them essentially, which I think is the right way to do it."

The host reflected on the unprecedented 2019/2020 season, which has led to video call interviews and the scrapping of a live studio audience as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic:

"We have one more show to go now on Friday night and then we'll leave you alone for a while. I'm sure you could do with an old break from us. And we'll just regroup is what we're going to do. We're going to have to reconfigure, or at least look at, how the show's going to work from September onwards and in terms of the change and the shape.

RTÉ faced a tough year when it came to saying goodbye to long-time personalities of the broadcaster.

"It's been a very, very... It's been quite a season; I've never seen anything like it in my career in RTÉ. We lost Gay, we lost Marian and we lost Larry. And then the virus came along and it just seemed to be a lot of things going on, all the time. And the team responded to each one every time appropriately, I think," Tubridy continued.

"We just wanted to try and channel the mood of the country and see where we're going every week. Suddenly we find ourselves at the end of this remarkable, sometimes surreal season.

"No audience, but yet great generosity. Wonderful musicians and guests who take the trouble to come in and see us. And as I say, the people working behind the scenes coming in, socially distanced of a given week, week in, week out. Just brilliant. So thank you again, and we'll see you again on Friday for that."

The last Late Late Show of the season will take place this Friday at 9:35pm on RTÉ One.