Ryan Tubridy discusses his "unlikely friendship" with the legendary singer in a moving article in The Irish Times.

Ryan Tubridy has opened up about a recent interaction he had with the late singer and musician Sinéad O'Connor that exemplified her "kindness". Huge numbers have been paying touching tributes to the 'Nothing Compares 2 U' after the announcement of her passing on Wednesday, July 26th. Among these is Tubridy who has opened up about his "unlikely friendship" with the Irish music legend in an article he penned for The Irish Times. In the piece, the former Late Late host writes about the support he received from O'Connor at the height of the much-publicised secret payments scandal involving RTÉ and the presenter. The tribute reads: "Two weeks ago, I was in Clifden escaping from reality when my phone rang. It was Sinéad – ‘Jesus man, what the f**k is going on?’ – and so began a very long chat about life and the universe. "She told me that sometimes bad situations were really just visits from ‘God in a hoodie’ whereby you think you’re being mugged but there’s a higher purpose – beautifully Sinéad! "I won’t go into more detail but she understood darkness, she understood loyalty, she understood family and she understood love." O'Connor also said that Tubridy could stay in her spare bedroom in her London apartment if he wanted to, according to the presenter. "She offered me her spare room in the new flat if I needed a safe haven, but more importantly she offered kindness," the column reads. In The Irish Times tribute, Tubridy recounts that, though O'Connor was "insanely rock'n'roll" and he was "pretty much the opposite," an "unlikely friendship" blossomed between the pair due to the singer's several appearances on the Late Late. "Thoughtful text messages, bawdy WhatsApp memes, and occasional phone calls became part of our 'thing'," the presenter writes. Tubridy in the column also draws comparisons between O'Connor and Cassandra, a priestess in Greek mythology fated by the god Apollo to provide true prophecies but never to be believed. You can read Tubridy's tribute to O'Connor in The Irish Times here.

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