In a poignant reflection, Ryan Tubridy recounts the disbelief he felt upon learning of Gerry Ryan's sudden death. He shares memories of the iconic broadcaster and the emotional Late Late Show tribute. Tubridy also analyzes the recent Eurosong clash between Samantha Mumba and Donal Skehan, noting the surprising intensity from individuals known for their amiable nature.
Ryan Tubridy has opened up about the moment he was informed that RTE legend Gerry Ryan had passed away. The broadcaster was found in his home after dying suddenly aged 53 in 2010, due to suffering a cardiac arrhythmia. Former Late Late Show presenter Ryan admitted he didn't believe the news at first when his agent Noel Kelly called 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,' said Ryan. '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 left behind five children who he shared with former wife Morah: Lottie, Rex, Babette, Bonnie and Elliott. Also in his column, Virgin Radio host Ryan weighed in on last week's Eurosong row, which saw Samantha Mumba take aim at the panel of the show. After her post calling the Eurosong panel 'vile', Donal Skehan responded to her claims, and the internet has been in a frenzy to keep up with the back and forth and jokes in the aftermath of fallout. '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,' said Ryan. '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.
Gerry Ryan Ryan Tubridy RTE Eurosong Samantha Mumba Donal Skehan Late Late Show
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