The Gerry Ryan Show begged him "on bended knees" and "over whiskey" to stay with 2fm but at the same time Ryan was impressed that Tubridy was willing to compete with him directly. Tubridy has credited Ryan with being "one of the few gentlemen in [RTÉ]", saying he had been "very kind to me when I started out in RTÉ making tea and coffee and right all the way up to the very day I got "The Late Late Show" job". In 2004, Ryan was the subject of controversy when he cancelled an interview with the Taoiseach of the time, Bertie Ahern. Ahern had
Ryan Tubridy Irish Times" with the words "Ella Tubridy is delighted to announce the engagement of her parents Ryan and Anne Marie". Tubridy separated from his wife in 2006. They have two children, Ella and Julia. Since then he has been at various times involved with Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, a presenter of radio and television. Their romance was even referred to as "RyBhinn". Tubridy expressed his dissatisfaction when photos of the couple on a stroll at Powerscourt Waterfall were used by the press and was frustrated by subsequent claims that the photos were a publicity stunt. He later told the "Evening Herald"