Ryan Tubridy’s replacement has been officially confirmed.
Oliver Callan has been announced as the new presenter at nine o’clock on RTÉ Radio 1.
The host will present a new morning programme Oliver Callan on RTÉ Radio 1, weekdays from 9 am to 10 am from Monday, January 29th.
The announcement was made by Brendan O’Connor on RTÉ Radio 1 show this morning.
Oliver is a familiar voice to RTÉ listeners as his hit show Callan’s Kicks has been running on RTÉ Radio 1 since 2012.
Speaking about his new role, the 43-year-old said: “I am fierce excited to join RTÉ Radio 1 every morning for the hallowed hour of 9 am – not least as it will finally stop every person I meet from asking about it.”
“Mostly though, because 2024 is set to be the best possible year for being part of the national conversation, with seminal moments in elections, sport and culture coming.”
“I plan to keep the comedy going, to celebrate Irish books, music and history and get serious when we need to. I can also promise to keep all on-air mentions of Monaghan to a minimum, like its legendary football, poetry and poultry.”
Head of RTÉ Radio 1, Peter Woods, also commented and said: ”I’m delighted that Oliver Callan is joining RTÉ Radio 1 at nine o’clock. We’ve known Oliver for a long time, not least through Callan’s Kicks.”
“He came in at the start of the Covid lockdown and gave the whole country a lift. Oliver is an accomplished broadcaster, who already has a connection with the RTÉ Radio 1 audience.”
“He is starting a new journey with us now and he will have the full support of the RTÉ Radio 1 team in a programme that will bear his inimitable stamp.”
The comedian is one of Ireland’s most sought-after voice actors as he is an award-winning impressionist with hit shows on television, radio and live on stage.
Oliver rose to fame after posting his vast range of voices, from Donald Trump to Boris Johnson to our very own Leo Varadkar- he has imitated them all.
Alongside this, he is the creator of the hit radio satire show Callan’s Kicks, which also features TV specials, comedy albums and live shows.
Oliver has also written columns for leading publications including The Irish Times, The Currency and The Irish Sun.
Ryan Tubridy lost his RTÉ Radio 1 slot, following the payments scandal but began his new show on Virgin Radio on Thursday, January 4th.
Ryan was pulled from RTÉ’s airwaves back in June, after it was revealed his earnings were publicly understated by €345,000 over the last six years.
Negotiations over his RTÉ radio contract had been put on hold amid the ongoing payment scandal, but RTÉ boss Kevin Bakhurst then confirmed that they had resumed in August.
While Ryan’s return to RTÉ seemed promising, Mr Bakhurst ceased negotiations with the presenter after he released a statement addressing the second Grant Thornton report.
Speaking on Prime Time, Mr Bakhurst confirmed they were “very close” to an agreement before Ryan’s statement.
