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What Ryan Tubridy told Kevin Bakhurst hours before RTÉ boss ended talks for radio return

Tubridy had ‘no intention of causing any difficulty’

Today at 18:47

Ryan Tubridy’s team told RTÉ he had “no intention of causing any difficulty” – just hours before he was dumped by the broadcaster.

A controversial statement from the former Late Late Show presenter scuppered his deal to return to the airwaves.

But Mr Tubridy said he was “not in any way inferring that RTÉ was incorrect” in stating his full salary details, including the infamous Renault deal payments.

Mr Tubridy was dropped by RTÉ after director general Kevin Bakhurst said “trust has broken down” over the restatement of the fees paid.

The presenter had issued a statement suggesting he believes the money linked to the special Renault deal did not amount to a salary top-up. The statement infuriated station chiefs, who took as it mudding the waters.

But Mr Tubridy’s lawyers wrote to Mr Bakhurst saying he was not questioning the RTÉ figures.

“For the elimination of any doubt, our client was not in any way inferring that RTE was incorrect in relation to its restatements made in June 2023 in connection with the period 2017-2021.

“Certainly, our client had no intention of causing any difficulty for RTE in relation to his statement made yesterday.”

The email from Mr Tubridy’s solicitors was sent just hours before Mr Bakhurst decided to end contract talks with the star.

Mr Tubridy had issued a statement welcoming a report by Grant Thornton showing he had no role in the understatement of his earnings from 2017 to 2019. The report exonerated Mr Tubridy from any involvement in that aspect of the scandal and put the blame firming on RTÉ management.

But RTÉ sought clarification about a line in the statement that read: “It is also clear that my actual income from RTÉ in 2020 and 2021 matches what was originally published as my earnings for those years, and RTÉ has not yet published its top-10 earner details for 2022.”

Mr Bakhurst contacted Mr Tubridy’s lawyer, demanding to know what he meant by this. The station argued the clearest way to state the money given to the presenter for those years was to include the €75,000 payments under the Renault deal.

RTÉ says that while Tubridy’s published earnings for 2020 amounted to €446,250, his actual earnings were €522,500. And in 2021, his published earnings were €440,000 but in reality RTÉ gave him €515,000.

Mr Tubridy’s solicitor, Joe O’Malley, replied to Mr Bakhurst’s legal team yesterday at lunchtime. Extracts from that response make it clear that Mr Tubridy’s team argued there was no intention to create trouble.

“I refer to your letter yesterday in relation to our client’s statement made in response to the second report from Grant Thornton.

“You have requested clarification of our client’s statement: ‘It is also clear that my actual income from RTÉ in 2020 and 2021 matches what was originally published as my earnings for those years.’

“This refers to 8.4 Table 8.1 of the report, which confirm that Ryan’s actual payments from RTÉ for this period as denoted on RTÉ’s payroll system did in fact match the figures originally reported by RTÉ for this period.

“Importantly, this does not mean that this is how RTÉ was required to account for Ryan’s earnings in these years. RTÉ’s correct accounting treatment for such earnings is entirely separate and distinct.

“For the elimination of any doubt, our client was not in any way inferring that RTÉ was incorrect in relation to its restatements made in June 2023 in connection with the period 2017-2021,” the email says.

“Certainly, our client had no intention of causing any difficulty for RTÉ in relation to his statement made yesterday.”

This afternoon, RTÉ responded to the clarification made by Mr Tubridy’s team.

“RTÉ wrote to Mr. Tubridy’s representatives on Wednesday seeking clarification on the statement issued by Ryan Tubridy earlier that day.

“RTÉ also sought clarification on two matters. These matters were not addressed to RTÉ’s satisfaction.

Regardless of the intent, Mr Tubridy’s statement, and the timing and manner of its publication, damaged trust between both parties and that, along with a range of other issues outlined by Kevin Bakhurst resulted in the conclusion of the negotiations,” a spokesperson said.