Ray D’Arcy is set to take over Ryan Tubridy to become RTE’s highest-paid presenter after signing a deal for €500,000.
Yesterday, the broadcaster announced he was leaving Today FM after 14 years and returning to RTE to host Derek Mooney’s afternoon slot.
The 50-year-old will also be involved in a number of TV shows, after deciding he wanted to be back on the small screen permanently.
Paid more: D’Arcy is understood to get more cash | RTE
Now sources have revealed he was lured away from Today FM with a deal of around €500,000 – and more than the €495,000 paid to Ryan Tubridy.
“It would take something in the region of €500,000 to get Ray to leave the commercial sector,” an insider told the Irish Independent.
“This is a case of RTE waving their cheque book to get the big stars.”
It is dramatically more than the €220,000 paid to Derek Mooney currently.
Gone: Ray is replacing Derek Mooney | VIPIRELAND.COM
However sources in RTE have denied that Ray will be taking on such a huge pay package.
“No one in RTE has been on that kind of money in years,” an insider told Goss.ie.
“Ryan Tubridy is the closest but that’s with hosting the Late Late too. Obviously Ray has got a good deal, but it’s not half a million.
“RTE just don’t pay that kind of money anymore,” the source added.
And today The Sun are reporting that Ray in fact signed a deal for €300,000.
Love: D’Arcy and wife/former producer Jenny Kelly | VIPIRELAND.COM
Yesterday D’Arcy said he was “excited about the upcoming challenges in both radio and television. To be honest, it feels a little bit like coming home.”
His first show on Radio 1 will go out on February 2.
He will not be back on air at Today FM, nor will he get to say goodbye to his listeners at the independent station and Alison Curtis will take over the slot for “the foreseeable future”.
It is the biggest radio coup to take place in Ireland since Pat Kenny was lured away from RTE to Newstalk.
