Behind the scenes: Mimitoys and the Late Late Toy Show 2026
Every year, usually long before most of us are seriously thinking about Christmas, I get an email that still gives me a little buzz. It’s the Late Late Toy Show 2026 team, and they’re looking for toys!
Mimitoys has been contacted by the Toy Show team for a number of years now, since 2004 to be precise! and I’ve been lucky enough to have some of my toys featured over the years or making The List. But getting from that first email to something actually appearing on the Late Late Toy Show isn’t as simple as sending in a favourite toy.
With my part in the process now finished for 2026, I thought I’d give you a little peek behind the scenes and what happens once I get that email...
I’m French, and when I first came to Ireland the Late Late Toy Show was one of those wonderfully Irish things that was completely new to me.
Over the years, I came to understand why it means so much to so many families. Yes, there are toys everywhere, but what I still love most about the Toy Show is that the children are the real stars.
They get to demonstrate toys, tell their stories, show their personalities, perform and sometimes completely ignore what the adults expect them to do! There is something very special about giving children that spotlight.
Even after all these years in Ireland and the fact that my kids are young adults and may not necessarily want to watch the Late Late Toy Show, I still find the whole thing quite amazing and I watch it (well the repeat rather on Sunday because it is past my bedtime...)
It starts with an email from the Late Late Toy Show
For me, the process usually begins when the Late Late Toy Show team gets in touch and asks me to suggest toys for consideration.
That sounds easy enough, until you look around a toy shop full of products and have to decide which ones to put forward!
I start thinking about toys that are a little different, toys children genuinely enjoy, toys that are fun to demonstrate and perhaps something the Toy Show team might not already have come across.
Then I send in my suggestions.
And Then They Come Back Looking for More!
This is the part of the process that people probably don’t see.
My first list isn’t necessarily the end of it. The Toy Show team considers the suggestions and, in my experience, they can come back looking for other ideas or asking for something different.
Does that mean my Toys will be on the Late Late Toy Show?
No! and that’s the exciting bit!
Being contacted, suggesting toys and having toys considered certainly doesn’t mean they will appear on the programme.
There is a whole Late Late Toy Show production happening beyond the small part I see. So I wait.
Some lovely Mimitoys Toy Show moments
Part of the reason that annual email still gives me a little buzz is that some of the toys have made it through before.
One of my favourite memories was in 2022, when Ryan Tubridy demonstrated one of my puppets Lischa.
Seeing a product I know so well suddenly appearing on one of the biggest television nights of the year in Ireland is a fairly surreal experience for a small business!
It also means that every year, when the Toy Show team gets in touch again, I can’t help wondering whether one of this year’s suggestions might make it all the way.
What have I suggested for the Late Late Toy Show 2026?
Ah… I’m keeping that bit to myself for now!
My suggestions have been made, the conversations have happened and my part in the 2026 Late Late Toy Show process is now finished.
And there’s another lovely part to the whole process because the toys sent in for the Toy Show are donated to charities afterwards, so whatever happens on the night, they’ll find a nice new home.
Now I wait for the Late Late Toy Show 2026
The Late Late Toy Show 2026 takes place on Friday 4th of December, with Patrick Kielty back as host.
By then, all the emails, suggestions and searching through toys will be long forgotten, and I’ll be doing exactly what families around Ireland will be doing, sitting down to watch the Toy Show.
Except I might be watching just a little more closely than most.
Will I spot something from Mimitoys on screen this year?
I genuinely don’t know. But I’ll certainly be watching! and hopefully will update this post with good news after the 4th of December!
Myriam - Mimitoys - October 2026