Doireann Garrihy was reportedly defended by her 2FM boss Dan Healy during a heated townhall meeting with RTÉ staff this week.
According to the Irish Daily Mail, staff gathered in Montrose on Wednesday for a meeting with the Director General Kevin Bakhurst.
The newspaper has reported that one particular staff member challenged the DG on rules for social media stars who work for the broadcaster.
The staff member, who was one of hundreds of employees that attended the meeting, allegedly asked Mr Bakhurst how he could justify employing stars who have externals podcasts that are in competition with RTÉ programmes.
They also reportedly questioned how he could allow an RTÉ star with an outside podcast to air an interview with former Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy, who was at the centre of the broadcaster’s payments scandal last year.
Doireann Garrihy interviewed Tubridy on her podcast, The Laughs Of Your Life, late last year before he moved to London to start his new show on Virgin Radio UK.
The presenter didn’t discuss his departure from the station in detail, only referring to it as “the thing”, but said it was “arguably the best thing that ever happened to me”.
Alongside Doireann, The 2 Johnnies also have a successful podcast outside of their 2FM show.
It’s believed Dan Healy, the head of 2FM, intervened during the staff meeting to argue that Doireann and The 2 Johnnies only earn a small portion of their salary from their work at RTÉ, and the rest is made through their own ventures.
It’s understood he pointed out the backlash they receive online, and said it was more severe for female stars like Doireann and Lottie Ryan.
According to the newspaper, Mr Healy said Doireann received “huge backlash” for her interview with Tubridy, which he said was “misogynistic” in tone.
Goss.ie has contacted RTÉ for a comment on this story.
