Tubridy Made 'Poster Boy' For Payments Scandal - Agent

Tuesday, 11 July 2023 10:17

By Caoimhe Harney

Ryan Tubridy and his agent Noel Kelly will face TDs and Senators today

RTÉ presenter Ryan Tubridy and his agent Noel Kelly are due to go before two Oireachtas committees today to answer questions about €345,000 worth of undisclosed payments made by RTÉ to the former Late Late Show host.

In a statement this morning, Mr Tubridy said: "We will be presenting key documents and new information to the two committees which we believe will bring maximum transparency to the situation and address much of the misinformation which has circulated over the past three weeks.

"This is the first opportunity we have had to set out the full facts of what occurred, and we have spent weeks reviewing all the information about these issues."

Mr Tubridy will use his opening statement to "set the record straight and call out some untruths". He will describe the controversy as "my darkest hour both professionally and personally".

In his opening statement, Mr Kelly will say that Mr Tubridy "has been made the poster boy for this scandal."

The new RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst said yesterday that he hoped to see maximum transparency during the committee's proceedings, ahead of a decision being taken about Mr Tubridy's future with the organisation.

It is understood that both men will bring legal representation to the committee hearings but, under the rules, they will be sitting behind the witnesses rather than beside them.

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