Ryan Tubridy has insisted he knew nothing about the additional €345,000 he was paid by RTÉ.

The broadcaster is set to appear before the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee and the Oireachtas Media Committee this morning. In his opening remarks, Tubridy will claim that he had no idea about the additional €345,000 he was paid. He is also hopeful he can return to the "job he loves". Tubridy will deliver a four-page opening statement this morning where he will "address the misinformation" that has been circulating since the scandal broke in June. Tubridy and his agent Noel Kelly stated: "We will be presenting key documents and new information to the two Committees which we believe will bring maximum transparency to the situation and address much of the misinformation which has circulated over the past three weeks. "This is the first opportunity we have had to set out the full facts of what occurred, and we have spent weeks reviewing all the information about these issues." Tubridy will also discuss his decision to step down as Late Late Show host during the meeting. He has insisted that his decision to leave the show is not linked to the scandal. "I made my initial decision to leave The Late Late Show almost a year ago. Around this time, I mentioned it to those closest to me, my family and my agent. They were surprised, very surprised to say the least. "There is ZERO connection between my departure and this very raw situation of recent weeks. I informed management on March 13th of this year." https://twitter.com/newschambers/status/1678675681780047872

Tubridy will describe the payments scandal as the "darkest hour" of both his professional and personal life.

"I did not have the Grant Thornton Report which RTE had and which RTE acknowledge made no findings of wrongdoing on my part. I asked RTE to clarify that this was the case - they did….four days later after much of the damage was done. "The result? I become the face of a national scandal; accused of being complicit, deceitful and dishonest. I think that statement of June 22nd was very unhelpful in this regard. He will claim: "The full truth was concealed. I take full responsibility for not asking more questions back on January 20th 2021 when the figures for 2017, 2018 and 2019 were released. I take responsibility for that. "This has been my darkest hour both professionally and personally."

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