RTÉ stars cash in online with lucrative social media ad deals

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Some of RTÉ’s biggest stars have made thousands of euro creating social media adverts for up to 70 brands in the past two years.

Champagne, days at the races, cars, televisions and jewellery are among the Instagram posts by RTÉ presenters who strike the lucrative brand deals.

Kathryn Thomas, Doireann Garrihy and Carl Mullan are among the national broadcaster’s well-known stars who have generated sponsored content for car companies, supermarkets, food products and more.

A sponsored Instagram post for Flahavan’s porridge was removed from Ms Garrihy’s account yesterday after the Irish Independent asked RTÉ if the presenter had permission to pose with the porridge in a 2FM studio.

The deals presenters make with brands are separate to their contracts with RTÉ but, as heard by the Public Accounts Committee last week, such arrangements have to be approved by their line managers. Interim deputy director general Adrian Lynch told politicians that RTÉ may introduce a register of interests to shed a light on the commercial deals done by its biggest stars.

RTÉ 2FM Breakfast trio Carl Mullan, Doireann Garrihy and Donncha O’Callaghan have created around 100 branded Instagram posts between them.

Dancing with the Stars winner Mullan has been sponsored by brands such as Coca Cola, Lidl, TK Maxx and Lloyd’s Pharmacy. In two years, he has shared more than 50 sponsored posts with his 317,000 followers, creating content ranging from giveaways to short comedy skits.

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Mullan’s ad for Chef asks followers whether they put their ketchup in the “fridge or the press” while a video for Lloyd’s Pharmacy markets a new app.

Co-presenter Garrihy has struck deals with brands such as Centra, Gordon’s Gin, TK Maxx and Brennan’s Bread. In one photo, the 2FM star posed in an RTÉ radio studio as part of a “paid partnership” to promote porridge brand Flahavan’s on her social media account. RTÉ said that while Ms Garrihy had permission to promote Flahavan’s, she did not have permission “for the use of RTÉ facilities”.

​The removal of that Flahavan’s post came after it emerged that Lottie Ryan, another 2FM presenter, was spoken to by management when she filmed a promotional ad for a car company on RTÉ’s campus without permission. RTÉ said Ryan apologised for her actions.

“Everyone working for or on behalf of RTÉ in the production of content – on all our platforms – is required to comply with the journalism guidelines.”

The video about the €50,000 vehicle appeared the day after the news broke that Ryan Tubridy had received payments from a commercial deal relating to another car marker.

egularly posts videos of herself drinking wine or champagne that is stocked by the convenience store. When asked about whether it had any rules or guidelines on the promotion of alcohol by its presenters, RTÉ said each request for presenters to engage in sponsored content would be considered on a “case by case basis”.

It said: “Everyone working for or on behalf of RTÉ in the production of content – on all our platforms – is required to comply with the journalism guidelines.” The guidelines state that RTÉ should be “careful” in the portrayal of alcohol and not promote its misuse.

Since June 2021, Garrihy has shared more than 30 posts marked as a paid partnership or with the hashtags #gift, #ad or #sp (sponsored) with her 312,000 followers. Other posts included paid partnerships with Horse Racing Ireland at Cheltenham and Leopardstown races.

Her 2FM co-host and former Ireland rugby international Donncha O’Callaghan posted six paid partnerships in two years, working with Chadwicks, Tesco, Samsung and sustainable brand GreenAware.

The Ireland’s Fittest Family coach has more than 100,000 followers on Instagram, where he has also shared how he uses Tesco Clubcard discounts to deal with “the crazy prices these days”.

His co-host Garrihy commented on the clip: “Doin’ us so bloody well proud @carlmullan #paidpartnership.”

Operation Transformation presenter Kathryn Thomas has been a brand ambassador for Peugeot, Land Rover and posted ads for Promise Gluten Free and the National Dairy Council.

In one post, she took her 134,000 followers along on a weekly shop to Lidl.

“They have everything I need under one roof and I know they won’t be beaten on price or quality,” she captioned the video. “With the cost of living increasing on what feels like a daily basis, there’s never been a better time to #GoFullLidl!

“Check out what I picked up on a visit to my local store and let me know in the comments what your Lidl favourites are. #ad.”

DIY SOS host Baz Ashmawy has paid partnerships with Google, Samsung and Bank of Ireland, while Room to Improve star Dermot Bannon has shared a sponsored post for Volvo and another for the carbon-neutral briquette brand WillowWarm.

Ireland’s Fittest Family star Anna Geary has created ads for Pantene, Brennan’s Bread and Irish Tax Rebate on her Instagram.

Across the last two years, Lottie Ryan has worked with brands including Blanchardstown Shopping Centre and fine jewellery brand Maria Tash. For her son’s first Christmas, she showed her 90,000 followers his first present: a baby jumper from Smyths. She used the hashtags “#thebabyroomatsmyths #ad” on the post.

Rates charged by RTÉ presenters for sponsored social media posts are not publicly available, but it is understood that a star with more than 300,000 followers could stand to earn between €3,000 and €4,500 from a post.

As well as being paid for the promotional content itself, RTÉ stars can also be given products and services including cars, holidays, food and drink, clothing or beauty products under the deals.

When asked whether it imposed a monetary limit on the products that can be given to presenters under such brand deals, RTÉ said “each request is considered on a case-by-case basis”.

Kathryn Thomas, Doireann Garrihy, Carl Mullan, Donncha O’Callaghan, Lottie Ryan, Dermot Bannon, Baz Ashmawy and Anna Geary are all represented by NK Management, the same agency that has represented Ryan Tubridy and been embroiled in a recent controversy over secret payments to the former Late Late Show host.

NK Management did not respond to requests for comment for any of the presenters.

The Irish Independent revealed last week that some of RTÉ’s biggest names have been given new cars worth upwards of €70,000 as part of lucrative brand deals.

Dermot Bannon, Kathryn Thomas, Lottie Ryan, Baz Ashmawy, Anna Geary, Carl Mullan, Doireann Garrihy and Hugh Wallace have all benefited from their “ambassador” roles with car brands.