FEMALE STARS VIE FOR SHOW

OPERATION Transformation presenter, Kathryn Thomas and Brigid and Eamon star, Jennifer Zamparelli are believed to be leading the race to become the presenter of the third new chat show, starting in March.

The two women were among five female presenters who recorded pilots in recent weeks.

The others in the running are Angela Scanlon, Doireann Garrihy and Stefanie Preissner.

Producers are understood to be hoping to attract a younger audience than the one which currently tunes in to D’Arcy.

Scanlon told the MoS this week that she ‘hadn’t a clue’ what was happening with the new show or who would get the job. But RTÉ insiders believe the race has narrowed to Thomas or Zamparelli.

At the age of 40, Thomas is the oldest of the potential presenters. But she also has the highest public profile and is still considerably younger than D’Arcy, who is 55, and 46-year-old Ryan Tubridy.

Thomas, who was classmates with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the Kings Hospital School, has previously spoken of her desire to one day be able to have her own chat show.

Speaking three years ago, she said it was one of her ‘last ambitions’.

‘As long as something doesn’t become boring or run of the mill.

‘It’s about bringing something new to it. The chat show is there, we are inundated with chat shows at the minute, but that would definitely be something I would look at doing down the line.’

Regarding who will take on the role in the event of a new female-presented chat show being launched, an RTÉ spokesperson said this weekend: ‘Nothing has been