Ryan Tubridy announces move to London to host Virgin Radio show

Ryan Tubridy has announced he will be hosting a midmorning show on UK station Virgin Radio as part of the Murdoch-owned Wireless Radio group.

The former Late Late show presenter, who has been at the centre of the RTÉ payments scandal, announced on Thursday morning that he had moved to London to join the British radio station. His new show, which will air from 10am to 1pm on weekdays, will be simultaneously broadcast on Dublin’s Q102.

Tubridy will also present a “dedicated Irish weekend show” from London through the Wireless Ireland Group’s network of regional stations – Q102 and FM104 in Dublin, Cork’s 96FM, Limerick’s Live95FM and LMFM.

Tubridy made his announcement on Virgin Radio’s Chris Evans Breakfast Show, describing it as “quite surreal” and saying he was “desperately excited”. He will begin his new gig, which will air after Evans’ morning show, on January 4th, the date of his late father’s anniversary.

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Tubridy told Evans that the two presenters were “kindred spirits” because of their love of radio and said the move reminded him of the late Terry Wogan who also moved to work in the UK following a career in Ireland. “He was a lovely representative of our country in this place. I’m thinking about him a lot today.”

Speaking about the circumstances that led him to British radio, and using a phrase he says was given to him by Sinéad O’Connor just before she died, Tubridy said he had been “mugged by God in a hoodie” – it was “the shake-up you needed”.

In a statement released by Virgin Radio, Tubridy said the move represented a “new chapter, new city, new station, new beginnings”.

“I love radio and what a joy to be following the legendary Chris Evans every morning,” he added. “It’s been a pleasure getting to know my new friends at Virgin Radio, all of whom have been warm, engaging and very entertaining.”

The former Late Late show host also thanked the London Irish who had welcomed him to the city in recent weeks and paid tribute to his family and those who advised him to make the move to the UK.

In a statement, NK Management, which represents Mr Tubridy, said the presenter was “wonderful and inspirational” and that “his talents, strength, professionalism and resilience are to be applauded”. The statement was accompanied by a photo of Tubridy and Chris Evans smiling and embracing NK Management agent Noel Kelly.

Virgin Radio UK Content Director, Mike Cass said he was delighted to have the “pre-eminent broadcaster” join the station’s morning roster of presenters. Tubridy will bring “his warmth, humour and unique charisma to the UK audience properly for the first time”, said Mr Cass. “He will be the perfect midmorning companion and the ideal tag-partner for Chris Evans.”

The announcement followed an Instagram post on the former RTÉ broadcaster’s account on Thursday morning, in which he told his 255,000 followers that he was in the “back of a London cab heading to a building near the river Thames where I’ll be making quite a big announcement”.

Tubridy stopped presenting his weekday RTÉ Radio 1 show in late June when the broadcaster announced that, between 2017 and 2022, he had received €345,000 more in payments than was previously disclosed. Tubridy was already the biggest earner at the broadcaster, with these extra payments bringing his income to in excess of €500,000 annually for those years.

At first, the presenter’s pause in hosting the RTÉ morning show was regarded as temporary. However, in August, RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst said Tubridy would not be returning after negotiations with the host “concluded without success”. Mr Bakhurst said “the door is not shut forever” but that there were no plans at present for Tubridy’s return to RTÉ.

Tubridy said at the time he was “shocked and disappointed” by the director general’s decision to end talks. He had previously announced in March 2023 that he was stepping down as presenter of the Late Late Show after 14 years. He presented his final show of the long-standing series in May.