Broadcaster ‘stressed’ days before his death

BROADCASTER Gerry Ryan was facing stress over his work and personal life in the days leading up to his death, according to friends and associates of the late presenter.

Remembering the celebrated 2fm radio star at the weekend, friends spoke of their final contact with Mr Ryan before he was found dead in his Dublin city apartment on Friday.

Speaking on her own RTE show, fellow-presenter Marian Finucane revealed that the 53-year-old father of five had been worrying recently when she met him and his partner Melanie Verwoerd.

“I bumped into him and his partner Melanie. It was South Africa Day and there was an event and we met, and the four of us had dinner.

“He was in typical Gerry form. Larger than life, full of asides and jokes and outrageousness and all of that. And he was also, I think, very stressed. He was really very, very stressed,” she revealed.

The 2fm DJ was also coping with financial difficulties, according to weekend reports.

While on a star’s salary, he was also known as a very generous and carefree man.

Contracted to RTE as Balcom Management Ltd, he earned €676,354 in 2007, but took a slight drop to €629,865 in 2008.

By the end of 2008 Mr Ryan owed his own holding company €246,242 in director’s loans.

In a recent interview with a newspaper while launching his autobiography, the candid presenter also described how he was coping with his finances.

“The funny thing is, even though I’m obsessed with money, and I really thoroughly enjoy earning large amounts of money, I’m useless at handling it.”

“I’ll still get calls from the bank going ‘What’s the story here, you’re overdrawn?’ And I’m thinking ‘How can that be? I’m earning more money than all the guys working in the bank!’”

“I think my financial advisor sees me as a very strange fish altogether.

“I’ve probably only grown up recently. I’ve probably only really begun to realise that it’s not just me, that there are five children and their mum to take care of. And a big mortgage and a couple of cars and a dog and reptiles and holidays and God only knows what else. And I’m responsible for it all, and it’s not going to go away.”

One Sunday newspaper claimed that bosses at RTE had recently told Mr Ryan that they would stop paying his sick leave as he was technically ‘on contract’ and not a member of staff.

The development allegedly shocked Mr Ryan, who worked for RTE for 31 years.