Ryan Tubridy announced his retirement from the Late Late Show earlier this year but many people have wondered if his decision to leave may have been influenced by the RTE secret payments scandal.
The shock announcement took many people by surprise and Tubridy said he agonised over making the decision to quit the show after 14 years but he knew in his heart it was time to go.
Since then, it has emerged that "it is possible" Tubridy could have been aware about the issue of the undisclosed payments before he announced his retirement.
READ MORE: Ryan Tubridy invited to Dail committee for grilling over RTE €345k secret payments controversy
RTE acting Deputy Director General Adrian Lynch conceded to the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee that last week that "it’s possible" Ryan Tubridy knew of questions being raised about his €75,000 commercial income when he announced his departure from the Late Late.
Mr Lynch said: "Just to give context, because I knew it would come up what I had done was, I tried to work out the day that the director of content told me that Ryan Tubridy went into his office to tell him he was stepping down. So, I went back and checked my email because I had sent him an email with a list of potential presenters and that was on, I think, March 13.
"I didn't realise that actually the CFO had had contact from the auditors on – whatever it was – March 10 or whatever. Based on the information from yesterday, it is possible [that Ryan Tubridy was aware of the concerns around the payments]."
Here's a full timeline of events surrounding Tubridy's retirement:
March 3
Ryan Tubridy dismissed any rumours and confirmed he had no plans to step down from The Late Late Show, just days before his shock announcement.
He told RSVP magazine: "I don’t know where this is coming from, the story comes up every year or two. I am here talking to you today with a view to go straight back into the job I love."
March 7
The Public Accounts Committee heard that RTE’s auditors Deloitte first contacted RTE Chief Financial Officer Richard Collins on Tuesday, March 7 to raise the issue of the €150,000 of barter account transactions
The RTE statement does not give a specific date the issue was raised however, it states: "March 2023 during routine of RTÉ’s 2022 accounts, the two transactions in the barter account are queried by auditors."
This in turn prompts RTÉ’s audit risk committee to obtain external legal advice and appoint Grant Thornton.
March 13
The Public Accounts Committee heard that Tubridy had contacted RTE bosses on or before Monday, March 13, to say he was stepping down.
According to RTE acting DG Adrian Lynch, he said: "I went back and checked my email because I had sent [the director of content] an email with a list of potential presenters and that was on, I think, March 13.
March 16
The RTE star announced to the public that he would be stepping down as host of the long-running chat show on Thursday, March 16.
At the time he told Claire Byrne on her RTE Radio 1 show: "I could give you 50 reasons as to why I am leaving the Late Late Show but the one I can only give you that is the most prosaic and the most soulful is you know when you know and I know. I know in my heart and I know in my mind."
May 26
Tubridy's final Late Late Show broadcast took place on Friday, May 26 – just two days before he celebrated his milestone 50th birthday.
June 23
Tubridy issued a statement apologising for not questioning his salary over the last five years and denied that the RTE payments controversy played any role in his decision to quit the Late Late.
He said: "I also wish to respond to suggestions that this issue had some bearing on my decision to step down from hosting The Late Late Show. It did not."
