Tommy Tiernan announces hiatus for chart-topping Tommy, Hector and Laurita Podcast

Writing on Twitter, Tiernan said: “Hello everybody, we have a great announcement to make. We are taking a small break from April until September.”

The comedian added: “We are going to take a break from April 3rd until September, and we look forward to talking to you once the kids go back to school.”

News of the break comes as Tiernan’s name has been mentioned in some quarters as a potential replacement for Ryan Tubridy as host of The Late Late Show.

The comedian has been hosting the very successful Tommy Tiernan Show on RTÉ since 2017.

TV and radio presenter Hector Ó hEeochagáin is a school friend of Tiernan’s born in Drogheda, Co Louth and raised in Navan, Co Meath.

Laurita Blewitt is an Irish podcaster, fundraiser and radio presenter from Knockmore, Co Mayo.

Also writing on Twitter, Blewitt said whether the break is a “creative break” is yet to be determined.

Ó hEochagáin added: “Do not worry, we’ll be back in September, do not panic. All will be well.”

The Tommy, Hector and Laurita Podcast, which the trio record in a garden shed in the West of Ireland, has over 20 million listens from fans in 175 countries, and this is the first break they will take after two and a half years working together.

The podcast took home the Spotlight Award and Best Entertainment Award at the 2022 Irish Podcast Awards, and regularly tops the Irish podcast charts.

Current member-only subscription fees will be paused until their return in September, the team said.

The group tweeted: “Don’t worry about the technical details, we will take care of all of this, just know you won’t be charged for access to your episodes during our break.”