These are tough times in Montrose. So much so that RTE plans to use the audience of The Late Late Show in order to shoot a low budget comedy pilot later this month.

Station chiefs are currently working on an Irish version of Channel 4 show Who's Line Is It Anyway? and, to cut costs, intend to film a pilot for the new programme using Pat Kenny's audience before he goes live on Friday 24 April.

Members of the public could even end up having a starring role in the new RTE show as part of the filming involves the audience being asked to leave their seats and join the cast creating characters, scenes and songs.

A RTE source told the Sunday Tribune "there's usually a comedian hired to warm up the audience for The Late Late Show each week.

With a limited budget in RTE right now someone has decided that with an audience, lights and cameras available, why not use the 15 minutes to make some cheap TV?

Après Match star Barry Murphy, and Killinaskully's Joe Rooney along with Fair City actor Paul Tylak are among the cast of the new RTE comedy project provisionally titled What Am I Liking Anyways?

Although based on that UK format, RTE hope their Irish version will mature into a different type of programme.