DONNCHA O’CALLAGHAN has announced that he will leave the RTÉ 2FM Breakfast Show next month.

It follows the departures of a number of high-profile presenters from the station, including his co-presenter Doireann Garrihy, Jennifer Zamparelli and The 2 Johnnies.

O’Callaghan has presented the station’s breakfast show alongside Garrihy and Carl Mullan since 2021.

In a statement shared on Instagram, the former rugby player said: “I’m sure we’d all agree, it’s never easy to step away from something you really enjoy doing. Friday the 5th July will be my last ‘2FM Breakfast’ Show.

“I’m so incredibly grateful and proud of the last five years in 2FM, I’ve absolutely loved it,” he said. 

O’Callaghan thanked the station’s bosses, producers and presenters and said the “heartbeat of course is the fantastic listeners. I will always appreciate the love and support – you have been the absolute best!”.

He gave a special mention to his co-presenters, saying: “Carl and Doireann, ye know exactly what ye mean to me and only one word does it justice – TIME.

“We all have a reason for bouncing out of bed and taking on the day. I’ve been blessed yet again to do something I’ve loved for the last five years.

“Of course it requires sacrifice and commitment, in my case that load has been carried by Jenny. Thank you for always backing me. We go again.”

The 2 Johnnies announced that they were giving up their slot on 2FM at the end of May, while Doireann Garrihy presented her final show on the station on 31 May. 

Jennifer Zamparelli also recently left after more than a decade at the station, saying it was “time for me to move on”. 

Chief executive of 2fm Dan Healy has faced questions about whether the departures are linked to new rules at RTÉ aimed at identifying conflicts of interest, including work done by presenters by other brands or organisations and any payment received for external activities.

Healy told Today with Claire Byrne that the departures could not be attributed to a “single thing”.

“But you’re attributing it to single thing and what I’m saying is, it’s not that it’s nuanced, it is genuinely nuanced,” he said.

All presenters leaving have high profiles and significant media careers outside of 2FM. 

Today, RTÉ launched its New Direction Strategy, which Director General Kevin Bakhurst has described as a “transformational vision” for the national broadcaster.

As part of the plan to secure a €20 million bailout from the government, the national broadcaster will cut 400 jobs over the next five years.