RTÉ in Crisis

Matt Cooper: Real story of Toy Show the Musical is still under wraps

It was odd, last year, when Ryan Tubridy was not a more vocal champion of the ill-fated live-show project – but emails suggest he may have been part of a separate venture riffing on the Toy Show brand that never materialised

Ryan Tubridy’s 2015 and 2020 contracts, supplied to PAC, are notable for not making any distinction between his pay for presenting the radio and television shows. Picture: RTÉ

It was something of a surprise to many late last year that Ryan Tubridy was not a loud or enthusiastic champion for Toy Show the Musical, the ill-starred venture that has cost RTÉ so much in money and reputation.

Tubridy didn’t mention it very often on his radio show — and his audience there was well used to him talking up and promoting whatever he was interested in — and when he did, it was ...