The first televised Presidential election debate is live tonight – here's how to watch it

The first presidential election television debate for the 2025 election will take place on tonight Monday September 25, with all three confirmed candidates invited to appear. 

The Tonight Show debate, which will be the first of the campaign, will be hosted by Kieran Cuddihy live on Monday at 10pm on Virgin Media One. 

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The three candidates on this year's ballot are, Independent Catherine Connolly who is backed by Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin, and Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys. 

The debate will see host Cuddihy question the three candidates as they plea their bids to potential voters ahead of the October election. 

It is reported that the debate will take its historic format, where the three candidates will sit alongside each other in pre-agreed seats rather than the traditional podium set-up used in other debates. 

As there are only three candidates this year, versus six in the 2018 election and seven in the 2011, the debate is believed to be different and more intense than other years. 

The last time the ballot saw only three candidates was in 1990 when former President Mary Robinson defeated Brian Lenihan and Austin Curry.

Tonight is the first televised debate ahead of the Presidential election which will take place on Friday October 24. 

Apart from the debate, each candidate will also have a sit-down interview 30 minute long with Virgin Media News presenter Colette Fitzpatrick, known as the ‘Big Interview’.  

Gavin will be the first of the three to appear on the Big Interview next Monday October 6. 

Catherine Connolly will be second on Monday October 13 and Humphreys will be last on Monday October 20, just four days before the election.