RYAN TUBRIDY HAS responded to revelations that an external audit into a potential financial issue at RTÉ has found the company publicly understated his earnings since 2017.
This comes after Tubridy announced on 16 March he’d be stepping down as host of The Late Late Show. He hosted his final episode on 27 May.
Tubridy has since continued to present his radio show on weekday mornings from 9am to 10am on RTÉ Radio 1.
In a statement responding to the revelations, Tubridy today said: “Like many people, I’m surprised by the announcements made in RTÉ’s statement today regarding the errors in the reporting of its accounts.
“It is unfortunate that these errors are in relation to how RTÉ have reported payments made to me but I just want to be clear: this is a matter for RTÉ and I have no involvement in RTÉ’s internal accounting treatment or RTÉ’s public declarations in connection with such payments.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed to be at the centre of this story but unfortunately, I can’t shed any light on why RTÉ treated these payments in the way that they did nor can I answer for their mistakes in this regard.”
Tubridy’s agent NK Management has released its own statement following today’s revelations.
“We were made aware today of RTÉ’s statement concerning its accounting treatment and public declarations of payments made to Ryan Tubridy.
“These are matters for which RTÉ has sole responsibility and accountability. “There is no issue whatsoever in relation to the payments being properly and lawfully due and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the part of Ryan Tubridy or NK Management.
“These issues are solely concerned with RTÉ’s internal accounting treatment and public declarations in respect of such lawful payments.”
In a statement released by RTÉ today, the company said that an external audit, conducted by Grant Thornton, found that Ryan Tubridy’s salary was understated publicly since 2017.
In total, the company understated Tubridy’s actual earnings by €345,000 over the last six years.
The national broadcaster said Tubridy was guaranteed an additional annual income of €75,000, which was intended to come from a commercial partner in exchange for a number of personal appearances.
This additional income was guaranteed and underwritten by RTÉ and Tubridy received the payment in July 2020.
RTÉ issued a credit note to the commercial partner thereby reducing the cost to it of its overall sponsorship arrangement with the organisation.
The commercial partner did not renew this agreement for a second year, and since the agreement was guaranteed and underwritten by RTÉ, the payments were instead made directly by RTÉ to Tubridy’s agent, on the broadcaster’s behalf.
Tubridy received two payments of €75,000 each in 2022, totalling €150,000 (being a payment for 2021 and a payment for 2022). It was these payments that prompted the review by Grant Thornton in March of this year.
With reporting by Muiris O’Cearbhaill, Jane Moore, Christina Finn and Eoghan Dalton
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