Ryan Tubridy still being paid by RTÉ despite contract end

Ryan Tubridy. The former Late Late Show presenter is still being paid by RTÉ  despite contract talks ending. Picture Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision

RTÉ's director general Kevin Bakhurst has said there is "always a danger" of Ryan Tubridy taking legal action against the broadcaster in the wake of negotiations ending between the two sides.

The decision was made by Mr Bakhurst and RTÉ not to extend an offer to Mr Tubridy to return to his radio presenting role on Thursday evening.

It came after a chaotic eight weeks following the discovery of secret payments made to Mr Tubridy by RTÉ — the fallout of which saw him taken off the air on June 22 — and two Grant Thornton reports.

When asked on Friday morning if he thought there was a risk of legal action from Mr Tubridy, Mr Bakhurst told RTÉ’s  Morning Ireland: "There’s always that danger. I consulted our legal team and we took outside advice as well. There’s always a risk and we factored that in."

He confirmed he did not expect Mr Tubridy to repay the extra €150,000 he was paid in 2020 and 2021, on top of his salary, but noted he made it clear to him it would be "morally" right to do so.

Staff 'strongly divided'

He said RTÉ staff “were strongly divided” about whether Mr Tubridy should return, but added he was a “hugely talented broadcaster” and he felt it was the right thing to try to bring him back.

“I felt there was an issue throughout about the need to accept your role in what has been a hugely damaging scandal for everybody involved, and particularly for RTÉ,”

Mr Bakhurst said he had consulted members of the interim leadership team in RTÉ before making the decision to end negotiations, even some who were on leave.

They agreed with me. They realised it was a tough decision but they also realised we’ve got a job to do, to reconnect with audiences and rebuild their trust, and no individual can get in the way of that.

He added: "I do think that everyone has got to accept those reports in full and not in parts and not trying to spin their own narratives.

Ryan Tubridy: Discussions have started about his replacement on Radio One, says Kevin Bakhurst, Picture Colin Keegan.

“We’ve got to own our mistakes,”

When asked whether he believed Mr Tubridy had done that, he said: “No, I don’t.” 

Mr Bakhurst said Ryan Tubridy was still being paid by the broadcaster and that negotiations on resolving that issue would be his "next step". 

Asked whether RTÉ would continue to pay Mr Tubridy, Mr Bakhurst said: "We need to resolve that, that's the next step now."

The issue relates to Mr Tubridy's contract status after he stepped down from hosting the Late Late Show in May.

At that point, his contract covering TV ended, but the status of his radio contract was still unclear.

Mr Bakhurst said: "Well, I think, as has been said before, he had that contract, which covered both the Late Late and his radio work.

"When he decided to leave the Late Late Show, clearly there was some discussion about whether he’d left that contract or not, and I don’t think there’s agreement on that,” he said.

We continued to pay him because I thought it was a fair thing to do over that period, because we would normally pay someone over the summer and it was our decision to take him off air for a while.

"But we didn’t pay him at the level that they were seeking for him to be paid."

Replacement

He confirmed discussions had begun with the head of Radio 1 and the acting head of content about Mr Tubridy’s replacement.

Standing in for Mr Tubridy on Friday morning, Brendan Courtney said it was “a little bit strange to be here” in front of the mic for the 9am programme, and said “we all feel a but discombobulated this morning”.

When asked if Mr Tubridy could go to other broadcasters, Mr Bakhurst said that it was entirely up to Mr Tubridy.

He said he had not spoken to his predecessor Dee Forbes, and said he was not sure "exactly what she wants to do".

He added RTÉ’s director of content Jim Jennings has indicated to him he "fully intends to make himself available to the committees when his health is better".