Tubridy Insists Late Late Show Departure Nothing To Do With Payments Scandal

Ryan Tubridy has stated before the Oirechtas that there is no link between the ongoing payments scandal, and his decision to step down as the host of the Late Late Show.

Tubridy appeared before the Payments Accounts Committee alongside his agent Noel Kelly for another hearing before the Oireachtas Committee on Media this afternoon.

Speaking at the hearing, the former Late Late Show presenter apologised to the board, collegues and listeners for a "fog of confusion" regarding payements which were made to him. 

It was at this point that the presenter denied that his decision to step down from the Late Late Show was to do with the ongoing payements fiasco.

In fact, an adamant Tubridy told the PAC that he was  "particularly upset and disappointed" with RTÉ, for linking his name to this ongoing "fiasco". He also accused the broadcaster of making him "the face of a national scandal".

This comes after the broadcaster had admitted that previously undeclared fees of €345,000  were paid to Mr Tubridy across a 6 year period, from 2017 to 2023.

Elsewhere, Grant Thornton are to compile a report into the amounts that RTÉ led to Tubridy's fees from 2017-2019 which were underdeclared. While two payments of €75,000 made to Tubridy in 2021 and 2022 were also made by RTÉ, which were also underwritten.

TDs were informed that a verbal agreement had been made about these payments via a Mircosoft Teams Meeting in May 2020.