Craig Doyle has been based in England for most of his presenting career – and recently, most Irish people back home want to know how Ryan Tubridy is doing.
Mr Doyle has worked in BBC, BT Sport and ITV, including regular appearances on This Morning since 2022.
Most recently, the Irish presenter will be taking place in Celebrity MasterChef.
Speaking on The Anton Savage Show today, he explained he ended up in the UK soon after his undergraduate through the London College of Printing.
“They used to take on 25 postgrads a year and most of them were Oxbridge-types,” he said.
“Then they took a couple of ruffians like myself and some chaps from Liverpool.
“The BBC used to come in and do like these news days and if it worked out for you, they'd bring you up for work experience and then you get freelance work.”
The BBC then offered Mr Doyle a staff job, kickstarting his career in England.
“I did try a little stint in Ireland for about a year with RTÉ,” he said. “It was grand but for me, it felt in the UK to work.”
There’s a growing circle of Irish journalists and presenters working in the UK, including Graham Norton, Laura Whitmore – and more recently, Ryan Tubridy.
Doyle and Tubridy
Mr Doyle said he’s a “huge” Tubridy fan and met him a few times in London.
“There's a joy to him, a freedom to him at the moment in London,” he said.
“He walks around with complete anonymity, and he loves the job - I don't think I've seen him as happy in a long, long time.”
Mr Doyle isn’t the only one checking in on Mr Tubridy – as most of his recent visits home include questions about the former Late Late presenter.
“I'm home all the time and the support I get from people on the streets and in the supermarkets and coffee shops is absolutely brilliant,” he said.
“They go, ‘It’s lovely to see an Irish person over there doing well – and do you see Ryan?’.
“They see us as a little community over there and I think people are kind of proud of their exports now.”
Despite the negative coverage surrounding the failures of RTÉ to disclose Mr Tubridy’s full pay, Mr Doyle said everyone who’s asked after him is supportive.
The presenter promised that his stint on Celebrity MasterChef will include attempts to do Irish cuisine justice.
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