The 2 Johnnies' Late Night Lock-In: RTÉ2 Guests and Episode Dates

Updated (28 Oct): Added the Thursday 22 October episode (series 4, episode 4) from RTÉ's announcement, and replaced the dated 'next guests' line.

The 2 Johnnies' Late Night Lock-In is on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player on Thursday nights, free to watch in Ireland, and it is an RTÉ show with no British channel carrying it. The fourth series began on Thursday 1 October 2026, and this page keeps each week's guests in one place as RTÉ announces them.

• Latest episode: Thursday 22 October at 9.30pm, billed with Charlene McKenna, Shane Clifford, and Kevin Twomey and PJ Kirby of the I'm Grand Mam podcast, with music from Rhythm & Sticks.
• Channel: RTÉ2, with the episode on the RTÉ Player.
• Hosts: Johnny B (Johnny O'Brien) and Johnny Smacks (Johnny McMahon), the Tipperary duo behind The 2 Johnnies.
• Next guests: RTÉ has published each line-up on the Thursday morning so far; we add the next one here once RTÉ publishes it.

Who was on The 2 Johnnies' Late Night Lock-In on Thursday 8 October?

RTÉ published the line-up that morning and called it the second episode of the new series. Ian Dempsey was billed to look back over his broadcasting career, from his early days presenting The Den with Zig and Zag to interviews with Bruce Springsteen and David Bowie, and to tell the story of being live on air when his wife was about to give birth to their first child.

Emma Doran, who stars in No Worries If Not, was down to perform material from her latest stand-up routine ahead of a tour. She was also among RTÉ's announced guests for The Late Late Show on Friday 25 September. Bernard O'Shea was billed to talk about five years as a house husband and how he got into comedy, and to perform a song he first wrote for The Republic of Telly.

The music came from the Galway singer Jamie McIntyre with Over Galway Town. RTÉ named the two Parish Quiz players as Dara Clarke from Glenamaddy, Co. Galway, and Rebecca Cottrell from Dunsany, Co. Meath. These are RTÉ's billed names from before the broadcast.

What time is The 2 Johnnies' Late Night Lock-In on?

All times are Irish time. RTÉ's announcements gave 9.30pm on RTÉ2 for the Thursday 8 October, Thursday 15 October and Thursday 22 October episodes. The opening night, Thursday 1 October, was billed for 10.10pm in RTÉ's press release and on RTÉ's entertainment site.

If you're in Northern Ireland, this is an RTÉ programme, so check whether RTÉ2 is in your provider's line-up.

How many episodes are in the new series?

The comedy news site Chortle and the trade sites Señal News and FormatBiz reported on 24 August 2026, all quoting the production company Green Inc, that RTÉ had ordered seven more episodes for a fourth series on RTÉ2. RTÉ's own new-season report, published on Wednesday 26 August, listed the show with Ireland's Fittest Family, The Tommy Tiernan Show and First Dates as returning programmes and gave no episode count. So seven is a reported figure, and we haven't seen RTÉ publish the dates of the later episodes.

An RTÉ interview with the pair, published on Monday 5 October, describes the show as filmed inside a rural pub, with live music, stand-up, games and chat packed into the hour.

Every guest this series

For Thursday 22 October, RTÉ billed actress Charlene McKenna to talk about landing her breakthrough role with Cillian Murphy in Breakfast on Pluto and working with him again on Peaky Blinders, comedian Shane Clifford to perform stand-up about becoming a father of twins, and Kevin Twomey and PJ Kirby of the I'm Grand Mam podcast. The music was billed as Rhythm & Sticks with a cover of Mumford & Sons' Little Lion Man, and RTÉ named the Parish Quiz players as Joe Dillon from Abbeydorney, Co. Kerry, and Brian Crum from Multyfarnham, Co. Westmeath.

Newest first, from RTÉ's announcements.

Where can I watch it back?

RTÉ's video page and its Thursday 8 October announcement both name the RTÉ Player next to RTÉ2, and the Player is free to use in Ireland. RTÉ hasn't said how long each episode stays there, so we don't give a window.

More from Watch Ireland On Air

For Friday nights, the Late Late Show guest list is updated each week, and the Late Late Toy Show page has the December date. The Graham Norton Show in Ireland covers the Saturday chat show on Virgin Media One. Also returning on RTÉ: Ireland's Fittest Family and Dancing with the Stars Ireland. For drama there's Tall Tales & Murder, and the nightly soap grid is in which soaps are on in Ireland each night.

More sections: RTÉ · Virgin Media · Christmas & Events · Guide

Sources

• RTÉ Entertainment (22 October 2026): Guests revealed for 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In, the Thursday 22 October guests, music, Parish Quiz players and 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, checked Wednesday 28 October
• RTÉ Entertainment (15 October 2026): Guests revealed for 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In, the Thursday 15 October guests, music, Parish Quiz players and 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
• RTÉ Communications (1 October 2026): The Boys are Back, series 4 launch, the Thursday 1 October guests, Parish Quiz players and 10.10pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
• RTÉ Entertainment (8 October 2026): Emma Doran and Ian Dempsey join The 2 Johnnies, the Thursday 8 October guests, music, Parish Quiz players and 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
• RTÉ video page for the show, return on Thursday 1 October on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, checked Thursday 8 October
• RTÉ Lifestyle (5 October 2026): interview with The 2 Johnnies, the fourth run and the pub setting
• RTÉ Entertainment (26 August 2026): new season report, the show listed among the returning programmes
• Chortle (24 August 2026): RTÉ renews 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In, seven episodes reported for the fourth series

By the Watch Ireland On Air desk · Updated 28 October, 6.19am GMT