Legendary actor Russell Crowe has offered his congratulations to Ryan Tubridy on his "genius move" to Virgin Radio in the UK after his departure from RTE.
The Gladiator star, 59, called Tubs "my man" as he paid tribute to him in a social media post, calling him one of the "best broadcasters ever".
Russell has appeared on The Late Late Show several times over the last 14 years and has often spoken of his fondness for the Late Late after he famously scolded audience members while performing Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues on the RTE chat-show back in 2015.
READ MORE: Here's how much Ryan Tubridy could be earning as he signs radio deal with UK station, Virgin Radio
This comes after Tubridy named the Hollywood star as one of his "best ever guests" to appear on The Late Late Show saying Russell was "the craic" when he met him on the show.
The former Late Late Show host announced yesterday that he is joining UK station Virgin Radio as a presenter and will be relocating to London to head up their mid-morning show from January 4.
Tubridy will also host a dedicated Irish weekend show meaning he will be on air to audiences six days a week.
The show will broadcast live from London and air simultaneously on Dublin’s Q102.
Russell Crowe wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "Big news for my man Ryan Tubridy. In a genius move @VirginRadioUK have signed him to follow Chris Evans show from January. Two of the best broadcasters ever. A massive 1-2 combination. I love how radio in the UK is so potent."
Tubridy responded to the kind message via his Instagram where he shared a screenshot of Russell's tweet, writing: "Thanks for the support RC."
Ryan appeared on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio on Thursday morning to meet his new colleagues, when they discussed his departure from RTE and the new role in British radio.
Discussing his time as host of The Late Late Show, he was asked by Chris Evans who was the "best ever guest" he had on the show with Ryan revealing two names; Ed Sheeran and Russell Crowe.
"It's very hard to beat Ed Sheeran when he's looking at you with a guitar in front of him and Russell Crowe was always the craic, he was great fun!" he said.
The former Late Late Show host – who once earned over half a million euro with RTE – could be earning €100k a year in his new role with Virgin Radio.
An insider told the Irish Mirror that Tubridy isn’t well known to UK audiences, and it is believed the star cut a deal that sees him earning no more than €100k – a stark contrast to his days as RTE’s highest-paid presenter for several years.
The source said: "His profile just isn’t big enough in the UK, but he could be taking home between €70k to €100k. It’s great for him though.
"He will really have to start from the bottom and work his way to the top again."
