Saoirse Ruane captured the hearts of the nation when she appeared on The Late Late Toy Show back in 2020, and this year’s edition paid special tribute to her.
The youngster was only 8 years old when she appeared on the show and sadly passed away from cancer in 2024.
It was her appearance and story that inspired the Toy Show appeal, which has gone on to raise millions for children around the country, with the 2025 show raising a whopping €4,003,179.
Ryan Tubridy with Late Late Toy Show alumni Adam King and Saoirse Ruane. Pic: Andres Poveda
As the 2025 Toy Show kicked off, some eagle-eyed viewers were able to spot what looked like a special tribute to Saoirse, and sure enough, they were right.
The star atop the Christmas tree had a special dedication to the youngster, reading ‘Saoirse’s Star’.
Sharing a photo of the star to their social media, the Late Late Show captioned it: ‘Saoirse’s star, forever shining bright.’
Viewers were quick to take to the comments, with one person writing: ‘Lit candles today for Saoirse and her family, what an incredible legacy to leave here on Earth.’
Another shared: ‘Always remembered in Irish hearts. The brightest shining light x’
A third wrote: ‘Love this and glad her legacy lives on.’
Pic: The Late Late Show/X
The star was first introduced in 2024, after Saoirse sadly died that March, aged just 12 years old.
Her passing left her family heartbroken, and in February of this year, her mother Roseanna shared a video of youngster Farrah Rose running around Saoirse’s grave, sharing what one of the hardest parts of losing her has been.
She wrote: ‘‘The bond that can’t be broken. One of the hardest things about losing Saoírse is watching Farrah Rose (her best friend and little sister) wake up missing her every morning and go to bed missing her every night.
‘Sitting into the table on her own for breakfast before school when all she ever wanted was to be going to school with Saoírse.’
