Ray D’Arcy has gone on air at Radio 1 for the first time since his arrival back at RTE – and admitted it was an “odd day” coming back.
The former Today FM star arrived into Montrose a month ago to begin preparations for his new programme, which wasn’t without hiccups.
And the 50-year-old even chose to slip in a side entrance of the campus to avoid seeing any celebrities he knew – with Larry Gogan making him feel happy about his decision to come back to RTE when he bumped into him.
Team: Ray with his production staff before his first show | BRIAN MCEVOY
He said:Â “It was an odd day, I suppose when you’re going back to the old school you feel a bit self-conscious.
“I walked down from the house, on the 5th of January and decided I wouldn’t go in the main entrance because I didn’t want to meet anybody.
“I decided I’d go round the back, cut past the Fair City extras room, cut across the bust of Gay Byrne and the plaque for the late Gerry Ryan and then I come to the radio centre and I still haven’t met anybody.”
“So I turn around, I’m going up the steps of the radio centre and the automatic doors open and I’m going, ‘Oh no’ and who walks out? Larry Gogan.
Help: Larry made Ray feel at home | BRIAN MCEVOY
“Larry Gogan walks out, I could have kissed him, with his lovely warm face and his big smile, he says ‘Welcome, welcome, welcome!’ and I thought ‘Ah, it’s not too bad after all.”
The radio star revealed that all of his other new RTE co-workers also welcomed him with opened arms.
“I’ve met all the greats, Joe Duffy, he gave me a free RTE Guide. Ronan Collins offered me a tour of his studios, I was in the cafeteria the other day and Dave Fanning offered to buy me a coffee.”
Old job: Ray at Today FM with Mairead Farrell | VIPIRELAND.COM
His first interview on Radio 1 was a long-standing RTE legend, Gay Byrne, followed by Paul Howard.
