Joe Duffy has told Hot Press, in the latest issue, out today (Thursday), that he would take on the Late Late Show if the opportunity arose. He also talks about his advice to RTÉ management about Tubridy’s falling radio show figures, and tells us that, when he was a student there, Trinity College was like the Vatican.

In a wide ranging Q+A interview, RTÉ Radio's No. 2 ratings winner says that RTÉ could get rid of him in four weeks, maintains that tobacco would not be legalised if introduced tomorrow and explains his objections to the legalisation of cannabis. In relation to the activities of paedophile priests he emphasises that this was mainly centred in working-class areas, and he is also hugely critical of David McSavage’s TV portrayal of him.

Asked if in the event of Ryan Tubridy leaving the Late Show Show he’d be interested in taking it on, Duffy tells Hot Press: '“Yeah, I’d do anything, I’d do any telly... I’m available for live television work for any station.”

He also expresses some strong views about Tubridy’s failing audience figures.

“I’ve said this inside to managers as late as yesterday, that they made a mistake in getting rid of this review of the papers, the simple things... I would have put Tubs on between eight and ten, I would have tried to relax him a lot more into that... I think there is a bit of panic there and I think they should go back to stuff they’re comfortable with.”

Looking back on his student days at Trinity Duffy says, “Trinity was the Vatican State. It was the opposite of religion, but it was totally self-contained. Self-regulated, self-ruled… They ran to the High Court every time somebody challenged their authority."

As for comedian David McSavage’s portrayal of him on The Savage Eye on RTÉ televison, the Liveline presenter is savage in his criticism. “...the image he has of Liveline I do object to; he’s abusing Liveline listeners, RTÉ are abusing Liveline listeners in that sense... they flew in a dwarf from Scotland for a number of episodes and he’s rogering me in the studio. Now, I don’t get it like... they wouldn’t do it on a female presenter.”

Read the full interview with Joe in the new issue of Hot Press (Florence cover) out today.