RTE star Ryan Tubridy has spoken about his family life, talking about his co-parenting relationship with his ex wife and his two daughters.
The 47-year-old Dubliner, has two daughters, Ella, 21, and Julia, 15, with ex-wife Anne Marie.
The couple split in 2006, and Ryan admitted they still lived close by and that he felt lucky that they all got along, RSVP Live reports.
And hinting at their great co-parenting relationship, Ryan revealed, the decision not to expose his children to his public life, had been a joint decision.
Speaking to Mike Murphy on the Senior Times podcast, he said: “Myself and their mum agreed about that from day one that this wasn’t going to be about a showbiz dad or anything like that.
“To their mum’s credit and to the girls’ smarts and abilities, they are thriving. I couldn’t be happier. I couldn’t be more proud. They’re the be-all and end-all.
He went on: “They’re 21 and 15. They’re young women but they teach me. Talk about being curious. Their curiosity feeds mine, feeds theirs.”
The broadcaster also admitted his daughters will always come first above work and everything else, revealing that Gay Byrne had taught him not to ‘a slave to RTE’.
The Late Late Show presenter revealed he had listened and learned from the legendary Gay Bryne who revealed, he had regretted giving so much of his life to his work.
Ryan explained: “I don’t think I miss out the way that Gay did. In many ways I looked at Gay for how not to do things. By that I mean I was not going to be a slave to RTE.
“That was a really good lesson. So I’m not there from six in the morning to eight at night six days a week with a 2am finish on a Friday. You must be kidding me.”
He added: “I spend a lot more time with myself, with my thoughts, with my girls — they’re too important to compete with RTE. RTE will never win if it’s me versus the girls.
“This sounds strange but I’d rather be penniless and a pauper former broadcaster and love my girls than tread the boards and wondering how they are.”
