The craic of the Irish

NEXT month the Hiberno-Prince of radio, Ryan Tubridy, will travel east to take to the airwaves of England.

The radio and television host confirmed last April that he would be taking over from compatriot Graham Norton who presents an eponymous light hearted show every Saturday from 10am to 1pm on BBC 2. Although he is set to stay for only eight weeks, when the announcement was made newspapers here were awash with speculation that Tubridy would leave RTÉ for good — something which was discounted straight away.

Unsurprisingly, the move has caused some controversy. Critics of the 37-year-old were indignant at the idea of him double-jobbing and think he should stay put, even though his main show The Late Late, is off air.