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12th Jul 2023

Bookies back Ryan Tubridy for career move amid doubts around RTÉ return

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Tubs has said he hopes to return to the ‘job he loves’ on the RTÉ airwaves, but bookmakers aren’t so sure…

Tubridy insisted he wants to get back to work when he was speaking in front of two Oireachtas committees on Tuesday, but odds of 11/2 are available on him returning to the RTÉ airwaves. There are also rumours he is likely to enter talks with UK broadcasters in a bid to resuscitate his career.

According to bookmaker BoyleSports, the end of RTÉ2 and the sale of Montrose are two more of the possible outcomes being backed as part of new Director General Kevin Bakhurst’s anticipated overhaul of the state broadcaster in the wake of the Ryan Tubridy pay scandal and financial information drip-feed that’s gone on in recent weeks.

Bakhurst made an extensive statement after he stood down the executive board upon starting his new role this week, detailing the changes he hopes to bring to RTÉ, and has refused to rule out the sale of RTÉ’s Montrose campus where it has been based since 1961.

A move from the Donnybrook site before the end of next year is now rated a likely prospect according to odds of 5/1 with BoyleSports, but a streamlining channel cull is also in the frame with RTÉ2FM and RTÉ2 both under threat according to respective odds of 3/1 and 10/1.

Bakhurst confirmed there will be no announcement on Ryan Tubridy’s future at the organisation this week, but admitted he faces a ‘big decision’ on whether the former Late Late Show host will return to his radio show.

BBC Radio tops the list of likely destinations for Tubs at 7/4,  although a healing of divisions with RTÉ remains more plausible than a switch to Channel 4 (6/1), ITV (8/1) or Sky (12/1).

Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for BoyleSports said: “Kevin Bakhurst’s in-tray is bulging and with a move from Montrose and channel switch-offs in the picture, punters are clearly tuned in to big changes.”

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