Ryan Tubridy was paid €75,000 for hosting just three events for car company

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Ryan Tubridy’s deal with car company Renault involved him attending three events a year in exchange for €75,000.

In her resignation statement, former director general of RTÉ Dee Forbes revealed the then Late Late Show presenter was to be paid €25,000 for each event.

She said pandemic restrictions meant the commitment could not be met in 2020 and 2021.

Only one €75,000 payment was made after Renault decided not to renew the contract.

But the broadcaster had already underwritten the second payment of €75,000 to Tubridy.

Ms Forbes said her “finance and legal colleagues” in RTÉ were aware of the arrangement.

Mr Tubridy has hosted a number of events for Renault. The car company has not commented.

Photos from March 2022 show Tubridy at an event in a Renault showroom in Cork attended by more than 200 customers and corporate executives.

These included Paddy Magee, head of Renault Ireland; Brendan Keary, the company’s chief executive officer; and sports celebrities such as Simon Zebo and Mick Galwey. It is not clear whether this was one of the events which linked to the RTÉ contract.

The publicity blurb for the event states the set was recreated in the Kearys Renault dealership with great guests, hospitality and “one for everyone in the audience”.

Tubridy also made an appearance at an event in May 2022 for Blackstone Motors in Co Louth, where guests included local sports heroes and comedian Joe Rooney of Father Ted fame.

Described as an “entertaining evening with Ryan Tubridy and friends for a Late Late Show all of their own”, it saw the TV presenter interviewing various personalities on their careers to date. He also met members of the public and posed for photographs.

Renault was the broadcast sponsor of The Late Late Show on RTÉ for eight consecutive years.