The Late Late Toy Show's most wonderful moments

It's been another great Late Late Toy Show and John Byrne looks back on the best moments from the Wizard of Oz-themed televisual treat that was Toy Show 2022.

Wizard of Oz Medley

The opening of the Toy Show is always spectacular - and 2022 was as good as it gets.

Starting with Tubs driving a Dublin Bus down Yellow Brick Road, it broke into a black and white retelling of Dorothy's arrival - not at a land called Oz, but at the Toy Show!

We need your consent to load this comcast-player contentWe use comcast-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage PreferencesSinging segments of songs from The Wizard of Oz, the Toy Show got off to a lively start, with Ryan Tubridy making for an excellent Scarecrow!

After the opener, Tubs popped back out on stage in his customary Christmas shirt and we were off... but not before Ryan explained the message of this year’s show: "There’s no place like home!"

Billy Mullet

Billy Brady (5) from Kildare was up as a toy tester but Ryan first asked him about his haircut. "It's a mullet," he explained, describing it as "Business at the front and party at the back".

He told Ryan that he wants to be a Garda when he grows up. "What do you want to do as a Garda?" Ryan asked. "Arrest people," Billy said, before he took off in his toy Garda car.

Caelan scores!

Although his dream is to be a footballer and play for Liverpool and Ireland, 8-year-old Cealan Green from East Wall in Dublin told Ryan that he'd also like to be a teacher.

As Caelan took shots blindfolded against Ryan in goal, Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher sneaked onstage and gave Cealan a great surprise.

After Caoimhin gave him his goalkeeper’s gloves, Caelan was completely blown away when he was then presented with a Liverpool jersey signed by the first-team squad.

Then came the ultimate gift: Caoimhin invited Caelan and his family over to a Liverpool game at Anfield!

Aron Airlines

Aron Gibbons (6) from Westport loves flying and all things planes. He wants to be a pilot, so Ryan took him off for an imaginary trip on Toy Show Airlines.

"Are you the chief pilot?" Ryan asked as they settled in their cockpit. "It's called captain," corrected Aron.

Then Ryan told him that he was going to be brought on a special tour of Dublin Airport and that he would become "a pilot for the day"

A very happy Aron gave Ryan a hug and then, eh, flew off.

Saoibh's Song

Saoibh Lonergan (8) from Wexford told Ryan about the friends she’d made in hospital and then did a comic routine before singing a song she wrote herself.

After a rapturous round of applause that followed her singing her own Raining Rainbows, she got the surprise of her life when Ryan brought on her hospital pals Jack and Ellie May.

But then Ryan told them they were going to Disneyland in Paris, with their family. "For five nights," Ryan added. "And you’re going to have so much fun, you’re going to explode!"

Let It Snow

Ryan Tubridy's singing has certainly improved over the years - and here’s the proof.

Out in the snow and Christmas trees with a chorus of kids, he rattled off a fine version of the perennial festive hit Let It Snow.

Well, that was until he got pelted with snowballs by the kids!

A Magic Night for Caitriona

Harry Potter fan Caitriona Kalogeraki (10) from Dublin performed some magic with Ryan as her willing assistant. "Let's go crazy Ryan," she said. "It’s the Toy Show!"

After Ryan spoke to her about Hermione, Caitriona’s favourite Harry Potter character, he surprised her with a video greeting from Emma Watson, who played that character in the Harry Potter films.

"I want to send you a message," Emma said, "to thank you for all you did to spread awareness around autism, and speaking about it so eloquently, in a way that empowers and educates other young people."

Defying Gravity

"Everyone deserves the chance to fly," is how Ryan described the song Defying Gravity from the hit musical Wicked.

A spectacular and colourful performance by singer Ruby Maher from Newbridge received a standing ovation from the audience at the end of the performance.

"She's just turned 14!" said an impressed Ryan Tubridy.

The Caillin Joe Show

"A huge country star of the future, if not now" is how Ryan introduced young Caillin Joe, whose cowboy hat was almost as big as his heart.

He had the audience in his hands as they clapped along to him performing the classic singalong John Denver tune Take Me Home, Country Roads.

Birthday Surprise for Emmie

The best moment came last on The Late Late Toy Show. Oh, how we enjoy those late surprises!

It was a very happy 12th birthday for Dubliner Emmie O'Neill who told Ryan of her admiration for the Irish women's football team. She added that she "loved to do comedy" and performed a brief stand-up set for the audience.

But Emmie got the surprise of her life - "Oh my God!" she said - when Brendan O’Carroll aka Mrs Brown popped up in a video greeting, especially for her.

"You’re a fabulous comedian," Mrs Brown told Emmie. "Happy birthday chicken!"

As if that wasn't enough, Ireland footballer Katie McCabe - who's heading to the World Cup next Summer in Australia - came on the show with some of her Ireland team mates to give Emmie a birthday hug.

And if that wasn't enough, Ryan turned the treat volume up to eleven when he told Emmie that she was going to Australia too - and with her family!

The icing on the cake? Katie McCabe then told Emmie that she'd bring her to an Ireland training session during the World Cup!

The Toy Show never fails to deliver.

You can relive all the magic moments from this year's Late Late Toy Show on RTÉ Player