Ruby's dreams come true on Late Late Toy Show
When 9-year old Ruby Burke was picked to appear on the Late Late Toy Show as a toy demonstrator she wanted to tell everybody – but she had to keep this big secret all to herself for almost three weeks!
“It wasn't too bad over midterm as she wasn't meeting too many of her schoolfriends,” recalls her mother, Anita, “but it was a mighty hard job to keep everything under wraps when she went back to school.”
From an initial pool of over 3,000 talented children from all around the country, Athlone's Ruby was one of just 20 children who got the chance to appear on what has now become the most eagerly anticipated night of the year and the official start of the Christmas countdown.
“It’s the dream of nearly every child in the country to be on the Late Late Toy Show, so Ruby knows how lucky she is,” says her delighted Mam.
A 4th class pupil in Baylin National School, and the eldest of Louis and Anita Burke’s three children from Tullycross, Moydrum, Ruby Burke had been talking about applying for the Toy Show every year “but she kept missing the deadline” recalls her mother. “So when it was advertised this year, I decided to make a short video of her with her Barbie doll house and all the stuff she made for it, and we sent it in.”
That short video resulted in Ruby being called for an audition in the RTE studios where she was one of 60 hopeful youngsters vying for the 20 spots available on the Toy Show. Her audition and her flair for art and design so impressed the adjudication panel that she got a call three weeks before the show to say she had been picked as one of 10 toy demonstrators.
A big Barbie Dream House was delivered to the Burkes home in Tullycross and Ruby had to design the interior of the house and craft many of the accessories in the house, including the main bedroom, a Christmas tree, and “she even designed and made a turkey and a full Christmas dinner” says her mother.
On the night of the show itself Ryan Tubridy described the lucky little Athlone girl as “the creative, the inventive and the very wonderful Ruby Burke” and was delighted to hear all about her wonderful flair for art and design.
The environmentally conscious Ruby was keen to point out that the Barbie Dream House was “eco-friendly” as it is made entirely of cardboard, and she also demonstrated the Barbie Campervan Dream Camper. The kind-hearted child presented Ryan with a lovely handmade gift of jelly beans and a picture made of “jelly beans with feelings” which he said summed up all the feelings he has every day! Meanwhile, Ryan presented her with a gift also – crowning her the “Home of the Year Winner 2022.”
Ruby’s mother remained backstage for the duration of the Late Late Toy Show on Friday night, but the entire Burke family was lucky enough to meet Ryan Tubridy at rehearsals on the Toy Show set earlier in the day, as Ruby’s father, Louis, had to bring the large Barbie Dream House into the studio. “We got a picture with Ryan and he was really nice and pleasant and had time for everybody,” says Anita Burke.
Louis and Anita have made their home in Athlone for the past 16 years, despite the fact that he is from Galway and she is from Leitrim. “We met in college in Galway and we both came to Athlone to continue our studies in Social Care and got full-time jobs in St Hilda’s after graduating and we never left since,” says Anita, “so Athlone really is our home now.”
When she grows up, Ruby says she would love to be an interior/fashion designer and an artist, but her “dream job” would be to work with the toy company, Mattel. “It has been a whirlwind for sure, but it was an amazing experience for all of us and we are all delighted for Ruby,” ends Anita.