Ryan Tubridy, the former “Late Late” host who came under scrutiny amid RTÉ payment drama this summer, is joining Virgin Radio UK.

Tubridy will host a show on Virgin Radio UK from The News Building in London, Monday through Friday 10 am to 1 pm beginning in January.

The show will also be simulcast on Irish radio stations Dublin’s Q102, Cork’s 96FM, Live 95 in Limerick, and LMFM.

Tubridy will be additionally hosting a "dedicated Irish weekend show which will mean that the much-loved presenter will be available to Irish audiences six days a week."

You’ll also be able to tune into Ryan from 10am every weekday on Dublin's Q102! 🥰 https://t.co/ThCKhIc0ej

— Dublin's Q102 (@Q102FeelGood) November 16, 2023

Tubridy was on Virgin Radio UK’s “The Chris Evans Breakfast Show” this morning, November 16, to announce the news.

“This is quite surreal,” he said. 

“I’m desperately excited.

“I start a new job in a new city in a wonderful station in a few weeks time, and I don’t know where to begin!”

Tubridy noted that he will begin his Virgin Radio UK on January 4, which happens to be his late father’s birthday.

He also said the situation was like ‘being mugged by god in a hoodie,’ an idea shared with him by Sinead O’Connor not long before her passing.

“That mugging has brought me here today,” Tubridy said with a smile.

Tubridy thanked the London Irish who have made him feel "so welcome" and "the people who advised me so well recently and got me to this moment."

He also said it's a big day for his family, whom he hopes to make proud.

Of course, Tubridy is no stranger to presenting. He hosted RTÉ's "The Late Late Show" for 14 years as well as his own morning radio show on RTÉ Radio for 20 years.

In March, Tubridy that he would be stepping down from his hosting duties on the "Late Late" and he concluded his tenure in May.

Less than a month later, RTÉ admitted that Tubridy received a series of payments totaling €345,000 above his published salary between 2017 and 2022. 

Tubridy said he was "surprised" by the findings and said he couldn't "shed any light on why RTÉ treated these payments in the way that they did nor can I answer for their mistakes in this regard."

Tubridy presented the last episode of his RTÉ radio show the day the payment debacle emerged.

In August, negotiations for Tubridy to return to RTÉ broke down. 

"We went into negotiations with Ryan in good faith and in the hopes of reaching an agreement that would see Ryan return to his RTÉ Radio 1 show," RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst said in his email to RTÉ staff on August 17.

“I have decided not to continue with negotiations and, as such, there are no plans for Ryan to return to his presenting role with RTÉ at this time."