'RTÉ’s loss will be someone else’s gain': Piers Morgan shares picture with Ryan Tubridy in London

Piers Morgan and Ryan Tubridy in London.

Controversial British broadcaster Piers Morgan says "RTÉ's loss will definitely be someone else's gain" as he posed for a picture with Ryan Tubridy in London.

Morgan, who posted the picture on X (formerly Twitter) said: "The sacked presenter club! Great to see Ireland's biggest TV star Ryan Tubridy in London today, and excited to see what he does next.

"RTÉ’s loss will definitely be someone else’s gain…"

Last month, Tubridy teased a "new beginning" in his first public comment following his departure from RTÉ.

Mr Tubridy saw contract negotiations end with the broadcaster in the wake of the second Grant Thornton report into its finances and 'secret payments' made to him.

In August, RTÉ director-general Kevin Bakhurst announced that negotiations with Mr Tubridy on a return to his radio show would not be continuing. 

The Grant Thornton report, issued last month, said it was “very plausible” that fees paid by RTÉ to its star presenter were under-declared by €120,000 from 2017-2019 to keep the payments under the €500,000 mark.

Responding to the report, Mr Tubridy said: "I also welcome the report's findings that I did not claim €120,000 in fees which was due to me in 2020 and that I did not agree with how RTÉ proposed to account for this decision."

He said the report had made it clear his "actual income from RTÉ in 2020 and 2021 matches what was originally published as my earnings for those years and RTÉ has not yet published its top 10 earner details for 2022".

Mr Bakhurst denied that the shock decision was made in response to Mr Tubridy's statement. "It doesn't boil down to the statement alone," Mr Bakhurst said.

Morgan, who currently presents a talk show on UK station TalkTV, left as a presenter of ITV's Good Morning Britain in 2021.

The former tabloid editor left the show after storming off the set when he said he did not believe claims made by Meghan Markle in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. 

His comments sparked more than 50,000 complaints, the most in Ofcom’s history.