It emerged last week at the Media Committee meeting with the RTÉ Board that while Ryan Tubridy has been taken off air, he is still being paid by the national broadcaster.
Interim Director General Adrian Lynch told the committee that the former Late Late Show host's contract negotiations were suspended following the payments scandal, with the 50-year-old's contract having expired in May.
The Interim DG also stressed to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday that Tubridy had been taken off air due to an "editorial decision" that he had the final say on, however the former top-earner at RTÉ is still being paid on a "verbal" basis.
When questioned, Mr Lynch would not say if or when Ryan Tubridy would return to air, with speculation that it may not be for a period of several months, if ever.
Bookmakers Boylesports said an RTÉ exit "looks likely" for Ryan Tubridy according to the betting trend, with chances of him returning to the airwaves out to 2/1.
"That means the odds are now against Tubridy continuing his career at RTÉ as the controversy over secret payments made to the presenter via a ‘barter account’ rumbles on.," Boylesports said.
The prospect of an Oireachtas grilling for the former Late Late Show host now seem increasingly likely, but odds of 4/11 suggest he’s made his final appearance in front of an RTÉ audience.
Before the hidden payments scandal broke BoyleSports pitted the former host at odds of 8/1 to succeed Michael D Higgins in Áras an Uachtaráin in 2025, with the odds now at 33/1.
The bookmakers also joked that an appearance on the next series of Dancing with the Stars looks "unlikely" with the odds pushed to 10/1 from the 5/1 originally quoted before news of the undeclared payments emerged.
Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for BoyleSports said: “It’s been radio silence for Tubs since the pay scandal hit the headlines and the odds are now well and truly against him returning to RTÉ in any capacity this year as the Montrose furore continues.”
