Patrick Kielty is considering moving back to the North to 'regroup' following the breakdown of his marriage, sources said this weekend.
It comes after the Late Late Show host and This Morning presenter Cat Deeley - who have two sons together, Milo, nine, and sixyear-old James - issued a joint statement confirming the end of their 13-year marriage.
Sources this weekend said 'planning' for the next Late Late season is well underway in a bid to boost last year's flagging ratings.
One source told the Irish Mail on Sunday: 'Pat is a bit all over the place at the moment, as anyone naturally would be.
'He recently lost his mother, now his marriage to Cat has ended and The Late Late Show hasn't exactly been the ratings winner he would have hoped.
'So there is talk that he's strongly contemplating coming back to Ireland, at least for a while. He has to be here for three or four days a week with the Late Late and his [BBC] radio show [broadcast from Belfast] so it makes sense. And to be honest, London can feel very lonely when you're going through something like he is. He still has his old friends up North whom he's very close to and he also has business connections up there so there's talk of coming back - not for good, just for a period.'
A temporary move home to Dundrum, Co. Down, will give the 54-year-old the chance to throw himself into reviving the fortunes of the world's longest running live chat show.
A station insider told the MoS: 'They really want to throw everything at it to boost ratings as viewership has dwindled since Tubridy left.'
But the source said there is belief and confidence in Kielty's talents and dedication to The Late Late and he has the support of Montrose bosses and his colleagues.
The source added: 'The thing about it is Patrick is a fantastic chat show host. He really is a super host. He just, for one reason or another, hasn't gotten into his stride. The guests haven't been great, is one reason, so he's really putting everything into this season to make it a banger.'
Sources also said the news of Patrick's break-up with Deeley, 48, did not come as a surprise to many in Montrose.
One source told the MoS: 'Nobody was surprised when it was announced his marriage was over. The writing has been on the wall for this around him at least for a long time. But he's gutted. He adores Cat, he still adores her.
'But he's been through tough times before so if anyone can rise to the occasion, he can.'
