Ryan Tubridy shares his emotional reaction to learning about Gerry Ryan's sudden passing, describing the disbelief and surreal experience of that fateful Friday. He also reflects on Samantha Mumba's recent Eurosong controversy and Donal Skehan's response, noting the unexpected intensity of the exchange between the generally amicable individuals.
Ryan Tubridy has shared his experience of receiving the devastating news about the passing of RTE legend Gerry Ryan . The broadcaster was found in his home, succumbing to a cardiac arrhythmia at the age of 53 in 2010. Former Late Late Show presenter Ryan admitted that he initially struggled to believe the news when his agent, Noel Kelly, informed him.
'I’ll never forget the Friday morning when my phone went off and at the other end, my friend and agent, Noel, told me that our mutual pal, Gerry Ryan had died,' Ryan recalled. 'We still talk about that call because I reacted by saying that there must be a mistake, that this was a stunt of some sort and that Gerry would call soon to laugh it all off.'Writing in his Irish Mail on Sunday column, Ryan continued, 'I loved him as a broadcaster, a mentor and a friend so it was too much for me to take in. As the morning went on and the horrific reality dawned on me that the news was true, I was in a daze as that night’s show changed on a coin from a regular Late Late to a living wake of sorts. 'It was a weirdly beautiful show with previous hosts, Gay and Pat among the friends paying tribute.' Gerry is survived by his five children, Lottie, Rex, Babette, Bonnie, and Elliott, whom he shared with his former wife, Morah. Also in his column, Virgin Radio host Ryan commented on the recent Eurosong controversy, which saw Samantha Mumba criticize the show's panel. After her post labeling the panel 'vile,' Donal Skehan responded to her claims, igniting an internet frenzy with the back-and-forth exchange and ensuing humor. 'I’ve been following events from across the Irish Sea this week as chef, Donal Skehan, left, and singer, Samantha Mumba, above, have been exchanging some spiky comments following Samantha’s unsuccessful bid for Eurovision glory,' Ryan stated. 'I won’t get into the rights and wrongs as I’m not an expert on these things, but I was struck by the fact these are two of the most mild-mannered and pleasant people I’ve met in the business and yet, given what I’ve seen in the past, I’m not particularly surprised that these gentle souls became so exercised.
Ryan Tubridy Gerry Ryan RTE Eurosong Samantha Mumba Donal Skehan
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