RTE receives €150,000 repayment from Ryan Tubridy amid financial disputes
Ryan Tubridy Repays €150,000 to RTÉ Following Controversial Payment Scandal
Ryan Tubridy, a popular Irish broadcaster, repaid €150,000 to RTÉ in August 2025, marking the conclusion of a controversy that began in 2020. The payment was made for promotional events that did not take place, as part of a deal that was later found to be questionable.
The scandal came to light in June 2023, when it was revealed that RTÉ had inaccurately published Tubridy’s earnings figures and had used a barter account to partially hide payments. Extra costs related to Tubridy hosting commercial events were also paid by RTÉ in ways not initially disclosed.
The controversy caused a significant public and political backlash, leading to the resignation of RTÉ's Director General, Dee Forbes. The scandal was described as a serious breach of public trust, prompting strong political criticism from figures including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
Tubridy issued the repayment voluntarily via his solicitor, stating that there were no conditions attached and that the repayment was not the result of any negotiation with RTÉ. RTÉ formally acknowledged the repayment, welcoming Tubridy's voluntary return of the €150,000 linked to the 2020 deal.
The payment of €128,500 was made for appearances on the Late Late Show. The payments for the corporate events were nominally made by the car maker Renault, but RTÉ underwrote all three, effectively paying Tubridy. The next highest bill was for Today with Claire Byrne, where guest costs came to more than €68,000 between July 2024 and June 2025.
At the height of the controversy in 2023, Tubridy indicated he would be willing to repay the money should he return to RTÉ. The payment of €150,000 was made through Tubridy's solicitor, and Tubridy made a statement confirming the payment.
RTÉ pays fees to guests and contributors, including local and international journalists, artists, and musicians for the time they give up taking part in a show. Political representatives who appeared on TV or radio were not usually paid by RTÉ, and the same applied to people promoting films, albums, programs, or books.
The payment of €150,000 to Tubridy for participating in three corporate events for Late Late Show sponsor Renault was not classified in the broadcaster's annual accounts as salary payments. Tubridy, who now works for Virgin Radio UK, had been set to receive a total of €225,000 over three years by RTÉ. His programmes are still broadcast in the Republic on Q102 and other channels.
The chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Media and Arts, Alan Kelly, welcomed the payment but expressed the view that it "does not bring an end to the issues at RTE. There are issues regarding governance, regarding transparency, and we need to ensure that into the future, the broadcaster is fit for purpose." The committee will continue to investigate the matter to ensure that such incidents do not happen again in the future.
- The controversial payment scandal that pertained to Ryan Tubridy, a prominent Irish broadcaster, involved money from his business deals with general-news relating to promotional events.
- Theiring from the conclusion of the controversy, the payment of €150,000, initially part of a deal in 2020, was returned by Tubridy and recognized by RTÉ, emphasizing a need for greater transparency and governance in their business activities.
