Ryan Tubridy issued an apology for the 'debacle' that followed revelations about his undisclosed RTÉ payments as well as a staunch defense of his character in his opening remarks to the Dáil's Public Accounts Committee today.
In his much anticipated public appearance, Tubridy strayed somewhat from the script of his pre-submitted opening remarks and hit back at seven 'untruths' that he alleges were put forward about the scandal over payments to him from RTÉ that were not made public.
In his most interesting contributions from the morning's committee, Tubridy also asked deputies if they knew what it was like to be 'cancelled'.
Ryan Tubridy: 'I don't know if any of you have been cancelled before, but let me tell you, you don't want to be there.'pic.twitter.com/PJqNADPbNO
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) July 11, 2023
You can watch Ryan Tubridy's entire opening statement here:
Tubridy again restated that it was his intention to quit the Late Late Show long before news of this payment scandal reached the government.
"I made my initial decision to leave The Late Late Show almost a year ago. Around this time, I mentioned it to those closest to me, my family and my agent. They were surprised, very surprised to say the least.
"I explained to them that, among other things, I had left a lot on the studio floor after Covid. I was burnt out and exhausted - like so many people in the country. I turned it over in my mind over a few months, but by the time I got to January, I was absolutely certain of my decision."
Ryan Tubridy's Closing Words
Tubridy closed by thanking people who'd supported him over the past weeks and said he's hope to be back on the radio soon.
"In closing, I would like to thank the many people from across the country who have taken time to stop me on the street or send me cards or messages of support these past few weeks.
"I have always found the Irish people to be very fair, and I am hopeful that they will see from my statement and my appearance here today that I am determined to inform them of the truth and to demonstrate that I have nothing to hide.
"I am also hopeful that I will soon get back on air to do the job I love.
See Also: RTÉ Spent Huge Amounts Of Taxpayer Money On Rugby Matches For Clients
