OPINION: If Oasis can get back together, RTÉ can take back Ryan Tubridy

Just like the Gallagher brothers, Tubbs is back in the public eye again this week, having repaid RTÉ €150,000 last Friday.

RTÉ has officially responded by thanking the former Late Late Show presenter but there have been rumbles of dissent from staff in Donnybrook at the thought of the media personality returning to the national broadcaster. 

Onlookers, and even those with a passing interest, could be forgiven for speculating that the repayment of the 'Renault money' is, in some way, a bid by Ryan Tubridy to make amends with RTÉ - and to re-secure a job in broadcasting back in his home country in the process. 

According to reports at the weekend, a 'source' in RTÉ has suggested the return of the prodigal son may not be well-received. “In terms of coming back, the feeling ranges from ‘it’s still way too soon’ to ‘there would be mass rebellion from the staff’," said the source. 

“The general feeling is he was right to repay that money and he was foolish to have taken it in the first place” the media worker told the Sunday World. 

READ NEXT: LIVE: Fake Labubu figures seized in failed smuggling operation as Revenue cracks down

The rise and downfall of Ryan Tubridy 

Ryan Tubridy worked with the national broadcaster for over two decades - starting out as a news runner after college. The Guardian says his appeal (to listeners and viewers) lies in his “genial everyman persona”. 

Ryan’s Late Late show and his mid-morning show on RTÉ Radio 1 were notable for their light-hearted and positive tone - which a more cynical viewer could call vapid.

Tubridy always presented himself as agreeable and he continues to champion reading books. Detractors describe listening to him as an experience akin to watching paint dry - but I’m trying to be less of a hater.  

From 12 years of age, the Blackrock College student presented reviews for the RTÉ show Anything Goes but decades later, things came full circle when RTÉ pulled him from his daily radio show once the over-payments story emerged into the public domain. 

Speaking at the time, a senior RTÉ executive is reported to have said: “Ryan Tubridy had an option to say no, he is not a child. But Ryan Tubridy's career has been destroyed and Noel Kelly [Ryan Tubridy’s agent] is right in the middle of it and there is no other way to twist and turn that."

READ NEXT: SPOTTED! Harry Styles spotted in small town in Ireland as pictures go viral online

Was it Noel Kelly’s fault?

The unnamed senior RTÉ executive may have a point as Ryan Tubridy claimed to have no knowledge of the Renault Ireland deal or of the associated over-payments (from RTÉ) - and this could well be true. When you’re paid hundreds of thousands of euros a year, it can indeed be difficult to keep track. 

Noel Kelly did not help the already volatile situation when he was called before the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee. The talent agent smirked, denied and obfuscated his way through hours and hours of questioning. 

Whether Ryan Tubridy knew about the barter accounts hidden from public view is anyone’s guess and something that we will likely never know for sure.

However, what is known is that the scandal critically damaged RTÉ’s reputation and continues to impact morale across the sprawling Donnybrook campus.

Following the revelations of the over-payments there was a public outcry and a campaign urging people across the country to withhold their TV licence payments. 

There was also a backlash internally, within RTÉ. The national broadcaster was accused of hypocrisy by members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) who highlighted the low pay that freelancers receive in contrast to the huge payments being made to Tubridy.

In the aftermath of the Tubridy scandal, NUJ members called for more transparency at RTÉ, including the publication of the salaries of RTÉ's top 100 highest earners.

This measure has yet to be delivered and the national broadcaster has not published accounts since 2023. 

The blow dealt by the Tubbs scandal was particularly harmful to RTÉ as the public service broadcaster’s brand is based upon an image of trustworthiness. 

Another media insider may have the defining last word on Tubbs. They noted: “The listenership in his old RTÉ Radio 1 slot has grown since Oliver Callan took over, so the audience don’t seem bothered he’s gone”

If you ask me, Virgin Radio can keep him.