Latest news with #RyanTubridy
The Irish Sun
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘I felt and feel lucky', says Ryan Tubridy as he reveals romantic way he popped the question to fiance Clare
RYAN Tubridy has revealed the romantic way he popped the question to his fiance Dr Clare Kambamettu. The 2 Ryan Tubridy proposed to his long-term partner Clare during a romantic getaway Credit: Terrie Burton Noir Photique 2 The radio host has opened up about the proposal Credit: Getty Images - Getty The pair have since kept the inner details of their love under wraps and while Ryan hadn't planned on revealing the news just yet, he was forced to come clean after a jewellers let it slip that he had visited their store. The radio host, who shared the news with his listeners on Tuesday, has now revealed how he carefully planned the romantic proposal to his long-term partner. Writing in his Mail on Sunday column, he said: "I don't want to give all the details but I do want to share a few moments because some people were enormously helpful along the way." READ MORE ON RYAN TUBRIDY Ryan explained that he had always planned to buy the ring in Clifden, an area which him and Clare both love and where the local jewellers has been a long-standing family run business. He explained: "I've also been preaching about shopping local for years so I wasn't going to Tiffany's… I called Jonty Daly in O'Dalaigh's and asked for some guidance and I can tell you, the man's a diamond!" The podcaster then went on to say: "The care, attention and thought he put into every detail was above and beyond, right down to him driving out to Renvyle House Hotel to deliver the 'package' to Anne Marie Kelly, the incomparable general manager there. It was all so much fun and it felt distinctly Irish." Ryan has often spoken about his love for the West Coast of Ireland, and this proposal showed just how much the area means to the pair. MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN He said: "By the Atlantic shore, I asked the important question and thankfully, the answer was in the affirmative – and so began the most gorgeous weekend." The 52-year-old revealed that the "staff and joyful hotel patrons" helped make each part "feel special". Donncha O'Callaghan has Ryan Tubridy in stitches He added: "We called into Jonty the next day to thank him and his staff; there was a little confusion about online stories but that was entirely at my end. Jonty did not let the cat out of the bag, it was an innocent miscommunication and we're all firm friends. "In fact, he joined us at The Abbeyglen Castle Hotel that evening where my cousin Brian Hughes and his amazing wife, Michelle, raised a few glasses with another cousin, Rachael Coyle and her brilliant husband, Shane. "Another lovely night was had that ended with songs at the piano! After that, it was Scrabble, cycling and sleeping before boarding a plane in Shannon and heading to the skies a different man with a whole new vista ahead. I felt and feel lucky, happy and ready for another welcome twist in the tale." Earlier this week, the dad-of-two told his Virgin Radio UK listeners: "I have a little bit of news that I was kind of keeping a little bit to myself - to ourselves. "Even though I'm a public person doing the job I do, I also have quite a lot of privacy that I like to keep to myself. HAPPY COUPLE "However, the cat has been removed from the bag for a number of reasons and I'm very, very, very happy to confirm that I did indeed get engaged to my partner Clare on Thursday evening in the West of Ireland." Speaking about his longterm love, Tubs previously told The Irish Sun: "She has brought an awful lot of joy into my life and happiness and support. "I don't want to talk too much about her, because my private life has always stayed private. "But I think anyone who has met or knows Clare will know exactly why we are seeing each other. I feel very lucky." Asked at the time if the clinical psychologist, who he first interviewed on his RTE Radio One show in March 2023, had been a major support during the last six months. Tubs replied: "Remarkably so."
Irish Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ryan Tubridy opens up about romantic proposal to Dr Clare Kambamettu
Ex-RTE star Ryan Tubridy has shared the details of his romantic proposal to his long-term girlfriend, Dr Clare Kambamettu. The radio presenter and podcast host popped the question last week, informing his listeners on Tuesday about the wonderful news. Now, he has shared the details of where he got down on one knee, as well as how he chose the perfect ring. After a trip to Japan, the Virgin Radio host flew back to Ireland to prepare for what he called a "life-changing" experience. "I don't want to give all the details but I do want to share a few moments because some people were enormously helpful along the way," he said. "Firstly, I knew I wanted to buy the ring in Clifden where the local jewellery shop has been a beautiful and important family concern for decades, and both myself and Clare love the area. "I've also been preaching about shopping local for years so I wasn't going to Tiffany's… I called Jonty Daly in O'Dalaigh's and asked for some guidance and I can tell you, the man's a diamond!" Writing in his Mail on Sunday column, the father-of-two added: "The care, attention and thought he put into every detail was above and beyond, right down to him driving out to Renvyle House Hotel to deliver the 'package' to Anne Marie Kelly, the incomparable general manager there. It was all so much fun and it felt distinctly Irish." Ryan has spoken many times about his love for the west coast of Ireland, so it's only fitting that the couple had their special moment there. "By the Atlantic shore, I asked the important question and thankfully, the answer was in the affirmative – and so began the most gorgeous weekend," he said. Tubridy also cleared up confusion that the jewellers had accidentally announced his engagement. "The staff and joyful hotel patrons helped make it all feel special. We called into Jonty the next day to thank him and his staff; there was a little confusion about online stories but that was entirely at my end. Jonty did not let the cat out of the bag, it was an innocent miscommunication and we're all firm friends. "In fact, he joined us at The Abbeyglen Castle Hotel that evening where my cousin Brian Hughes and his amazing wife, Michelle, raised a few glasses with another cousin, Rachael Coyle and her brilliant husband, Shane. "Another lovely night was had that ended with songs at the piano! After that, it was Scrabble, cycling and sleeping before boarding a plane in Shannon and heading to the skies a different man with a whole new vista ahead. I felt and feel lucky, happy and ready for another welcome twist in the tale."
Extra.ie
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
'I feel lucky' - Ryan Tubridy opens up on proposal
Well, it's been quite the couple of weeks since I wrote my last London diary. It's probably best to start at the beginning and see where the road takes us! Some time ago, I agreed with my daughters that someday in the future, the three of us would visit Japan. We have been so curious about the country and its customs, art and people that we had built a great urge between us to go and see it for ourselves. Between the jigs and the reels, the timings never worked but that changed a couple of weeks ago when we boarded a plane for Abu Dhabi and then on to Osaka for what turned out to be the trip of a lifetime. I won't go into great detail as it was a wonderfully personal experience but I will tell you that it was like being beamed down from a spaceship onto the set of a Wes Anderson film. Clare Kambamettu and Ryan Tubridy. Pic:It's a uniformly beautiful, clean, mannerly, law-abiding place that can surprise you with every corner turned. An amusing highlight occurred when we were checking into the Hiroshima Hilton and a lovely man approached us with his arm outstretched in welcome. In his mild Cork accent he said that he was wondering how long it would take for a history buff like me to visit the city and hotel! I was flabbergasted as Mark Gardiner introduced himself and told some of his backstory. I said we were visiting the museum and peace park for the day, but maybe he'd join us later for a beer. Mark explained that his Japanese wife had been forced to watch the Toy Show for years, and could she come along to say hello? Obviously I was delighted by all of this so a plan was hatched. The Hiroshima museum and peace park is a place like no other. Over the course of an afternoon we heard, read and saw a very different account of the end of WWII and the repulsive effects of the atomic bomb. The park is all about living history, right down to the bombed-out, domed building that was left standing despite the fact that pretty much everything around it was levelled and destroyed. Easily one of the most fascinating, disturbing and thought-provoking places I've ever visited. Ryan Tubridy and his wife-to-be, Clare. Pic: Ryan Tubridy We took some time out, then met Mark and his wonderful and welcoming wife Kayo, who told us some remarkable stories about her city and indeed about how she met Mark (which is for them to share, not me!). We went on to eat at a local restaurant where the girls encouraged me to try the chopsticks, noodles and dumplings, which I did and I'm a changed man! Post-dinner merriment found us all in the mood to sample the local national sport that is karaoke, which was an awful lot of fun. Between us, we improved the back catalogue of Frank Sinatra, Bonnie Tyler, Bob Dylan, The Pogues and some Japanese icons. It was that kind of evening. Clare Kambamettu and Ryan Tubridy. Pic:for The Irish Post We were so lucky to meet Mark whose mother, Kay, has so much to be proud of – and, along with Kayo, we made some new and unexpected friends. Kudos to young Ronan Miyachi, a friend of my eldest. He is of Irish-Japanese heritage and took us on some magical mystery tours around the backstreets of Tokyo that I will treasure. We bumped into a lovely bunch of people from Glanmire and at the airports, it was great to say hello and step into selfies with Irish people from all over the world who were on the move. Dr Clare Kambamettu and Ryan Tubridy. Pic: RTÉ I'm not sure I'll ever need to go back to Japan (the flights go on forever when you've long legs!) but I wouldn't change a thing – it was unforgettable. And then it was back to Ireland where I just about had time to do a laundry manoeuvre, before heading West for a few days and a life-changing experience as I prepared to ask Clare to marry me. I don't want to give all the details but I do want to share a few moments because some people were enormously helpful along the way. Firstly, I knew I wanted to buy the ring in Clifden where the local jewellery shop has been a beautiful and important family concern for decades, and both myself and Clare love the area. I've also been preaching about shopping local for years so I wasn't going to Tiffany's. I called Jonty Daly in O'Dalaigh's and asked for some guidance and I can tell you, the man's a diamond! The care, attention and thought he put into every detail was above and beyond, right down to him driving out to Renvyle House Hotel to deliver the 'package' to Anne Marie Kelly, the incomparable general manager there. It was all so much fun and it felt distinctly Irish. By the Atlantic shore, I asked the important question and thankfully, the answer was in the affirmative – and so began the most gorgeous weekend. The staff and joyful hotel patrons helped make it all feel special. We called into Jonty the next day to thank him and his staff; there was a little confusion about online stories but that was entirely at my end. Jonty did not let the cat out of the bag, it was an innocent miscommunication and we're all firm friends. In fact, he joined us at The Abbeyglen Castle Hotel that evening where my cousin Brian Hughes and his amazing wife, Michelle, raised a few glasses with another cousin, Rachael Coyle and her brilliant husband, Shane. Another lovely night was had that ended with songs at the piano! After that, it was Scrabble, cycling and sleeping before boarding a plane in Shannon and heading to the skies – a different man with a whole new vista ahead. I felt and feel lucky, happy and ready for another welcome twist in the tale.
Extra.ie
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
What we know about Ryan Tubridy's fiancée's conflict-free engagement ring
Ryan Tubridy's lab-grown engagement ring is understood to have set the broadcaster back the very sweet price of €3,750, has learned. Smitten radio presenter Tubridy popped the question to his now fiancée, Clare Kambamettu, in her hometown of Clifden in Galway, presenting her with a ring he purchased from a local artisan jewellery shop. In a now-deleted Facebook post, O'Dailigh Jewellers of Clifden provided a detailed description of the ring, saying Tubridy himself was involved in the design process. Clare Kambamettu and Ryan Tubridy. Pic:O'Dailigh described the bespoke ring, writing that Tubridy chose 'a stunning 2.4 carat diamond ring which has a beautiful balance between a modern and old elegant style. The centre diamond is a 2-carat emerald cut with two tapered diamond baguettes on either side.' Now celebrity engagement ring specialist, Seamus Fahy of Voltaire Diamonds, who is considered one of the foremost experts in lab-grown diamonds, told that Tubridy's conflict-free rock could have set him back a relatively reasonable €3,750. 'Going off that description, the ring would have cost around €3,750,' said Mr Fahy. Dr Clare Kambamettu and Ryan Tubridy. Pic: RTÉ 'Lab-grown rings are significantly less expensive; you're looking at about a quarter of the price of mined diamonds, so it really brings the cost down.' Tubridy is, of course, famously aware of the environment, having ditched his car for a nifty scooter to run around town many years ago. Tubridy and Galway-born psychologist Ms Kambamettu have been dating for over four years now. Clare Kambamettu and Ryan Tubridy. Pic:for The Irish Post The Irish Mail on Sunday was the first to reveal that Tubridy and Ms Kambamettu had begun a relationship after meeting while she was a guest on his former RTE radio show. Now, years on, and with Tubridy landing a new gig on Virgin radio in the UK, he has given Ms Kambamettu a forever rock in the form of a specially designed engagement ring. On Monday, O'Dalaigh Jewellers in Clifden scooped Tubridy's big news, revealing on their business Facebook page that he had bought the ring for a 'very special lady'. The post was accompanied by a photo of the jeweller, Tubridy and Kambamettu posing together outside the store. Speaking on his radio show, the presenter said that he had some news to share 'that I was kind of keeping a little bit to myself and to ourselves'. He said that while he likes to remain private, 'the cat has been removed from the bag for a number of different reasons'. 'I'm very, very, very happy to confirm that I did indeed get engaged to my partner Clare on Thursday evening in the west of Ireland, and it is a very beautiful feeling.' Tubridy said he had 'got a beautiful ring organised and the weather was gorgeous'.
Extra.ie
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Inside Ryan Tubridy and Clare Kambamettu's love story
Posting a happy selfie on social media that says 'I'm on holidays' can feel as joyful as turning on your out-of-office email. So it's no wonder that Ryan Tubridy was beaming as he took to Instagram a fortnight ago, against a backdrop of Clifden's rugged seascape, to announce that he was taking a break for a couple of weeks. But what we now know is that it wasn't just general holiday mode that caused Ryan — who presents a weekday talk show on Virgin Radio UK that's simultaneously broadcast on Dublin's Q102 — to break into a smile. This is a man who was putting his annual leave to good use, a man head over heels in love, about to pop the question to his partner of two years, senior clinical psychologist and a former Rose of Tralee winner Dr Clare Kambamettu. We also know now that Clare said yes — although we didn't hear this from the couple themselves; over the weekend, O'Dalaigh Jewellers jewellery store in Galway posted a photo thanking Ryan for choosing their shop to buy her ring. In a now- deleted post, the jewellers shared that Ryan had come to them 'discreetly' looking for a diamond ring for a 'special lady'. Dr Clare Kambamettu and Ryan Tubridy. Pic: RTÉ The release of the news wasn't very well co-ordinated, it seems. Well, the course of true love never does run smooth but no matter — on Tuesday Ryan happily formally confirmed their engagement on his radio show, stating he was 'very, very, very happy to confirm I did get engaged to my partner Clare in the west of Ireland on Thursday evening'. He added: 'It's a very exciting time to be alive. I'm a very, very lucky man, and I think it's one of those beautiful moments where the world feels lighter.' The stars have clearly aligned for Ryan this year as he went on to describe how his happy news was 'just the accumulation of a lot of lovely things happening, and I just decided now is the time.' And while the exact place of where Ryan got down on one knee has not been revealed, we know it was somewhere in the West of Ireland. This part of the country is a place close to his heart – his cousin owns the popular Abbeyglen Castle Hotel in Clifden in Connemara. Ryan Tubridy. Pic: Nick Edwards In fact this was the location of his proposal to his first wife and mother of his two daughters, Anne Marie Power. But amid Ryan's happiness in sharing his engagement, a little disclaimer: 'more to follow in terms of details and all the rest of it. And by the more to follow, I mean I'll tell my family first,' — a warning, perhaps, to any parties who may be involved in planning their upcoming nuptials. For despite Ryan's very public persona, his desire for privacy in his personal life is reflected in loved up pair's relationship, which has been mostly kept under wraps since they got together in 2023. How exactly the love birds met is unknown, but Clare appeared as a guest on his RTE radio show just days before he announced he was stepping down from the Late Late Show and a few months before he effectively became a posterboy for the RTÉ payments scandal (more of that later). Clare Kambamettu and Ryan Tubridy. Pic:Listening back to that radio interview on March 8 2023, it's clear that the chemistry between the pair was sizzling over the airwaves. The topic was the phenomenon of manifesting and Clare, as a clinical psychologist, was opining on whether there was real psychological science behind it. It was an intense, almost 20 minute deep-dive into nature, connection, and tellingly, the matters of the heart. Ryan, who admitted he was already familiar with Clare, as a host may have even been a little tongue-tied, as he interviewed her in person in the studio (there's still a picture of the pair smiling happily together post-chat on the RTE web archive). He stumbled over the pronunciation of her surname and a little like a first date (albeit shared to the country), they got to know a little more about each other. Ryan told Clare how he was fascinated with psychiatry, as it was his father's profession, and simultaneously she revealed some insight into her own family, from growing up on a farm in Athy and even how her Indian-born father, a doctor, met her physiotherapist mother 'at the foot of a bed in Merlin Park hospital in the 70s' and was introduced as Dr Ravishing, which Ryan had a giggle at. Clare Kambamettu and Ryan Tubridy. Pic:for The Irish Post He was clearly wanting to impress his psychologist guest by sharing his latest reading material — psychologist, philosopher, and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl's existential masterpiece, Man's Search for Meaning, with both of them agreeing that they found it mind-blowing. Clare spoke of finding perspective when we are suffering — 'a purpose through love and when we are caring for one another' —which would prove to be prescient words given her calming presence in the storm of Ryan's life a few months later. The only small blip in the conversation was when Ryan — prompted by the influx of texts to the show — asked Clare if she had ever been crowned Rose of Tralee. Clare briefly answered that she was and Ryan cheekily asked her had she got over it, to which she replied jokingly (but firmly shutting down the topic) 'just about, still getting over it'. Clare Kambamettu. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos Ryan ended the chat with a reluctant 'We could go on — I really enjoyed that conversation,' and this sentiment was shared by Clare with a softly spoken 'Me too.' Days later, he announced he was stepping down from the Late Late Show, and what followed an implosion of Ryan's life, or what he has described as so visceral, it was akin to a 'mugging'. In June 2023, RTÉ announced that between 2017 and 2022 it had paid €345,000 more than had been previously disclosed to the TV and radio presenter, whose pay was already known to be more than that of anyone else at RTÉ — causing a public outcry and backlash against him as the public broadcaster imploded, leading to him losing his lucrative radio gig. Speaking on the Laughs Of Your Life podcast in December 2023, Ryan told Doireann Garrihy that although he was 'trashed' at the time, the scandal was 'arguably the best thing that ever happened' to him, due to his subsequent employment with Virgin Radio in London, and no doubt, the new supportive love of Clare. Tubridy said: 'Blessings come in strange disguises and that's what happened because arguably the best thing that ever happened to me was what happened to me. 'I always wanted to go to London. I always wanted to investigate radio over there and TV but I never did it. I was thinking about it but I was procrastinating. 'I was 'maybe somedaying' my life away until I was mugged – and it was the best mugging a man could get,' he continued. 'Because once the dark clouds dissipated – and they did, they're still dissipating a little bit to be honest – but once they started to make way for decision-making and purposeful planning, everything started to happen.' It's possible he took Clare's advice on manifesting with action and applied it to his own life, because if Ryan was down in the summer of 2023, some mere months later, his life had taken a complete turnaround. While he took a significant drop in salary from his previous six-sum role — his salary at Virgin Radio is reported to be between £50,000 and £80,000 (€57,550 to €92,000) — he is carving out a whole new career in London, a city with notably more opportunities in media, in a move which has seen him swapping his posh pad in Monkstown for a nice little flat near Abbey Road. He's also hosting a successful podcast, The Bookshelf with Ryan Tubridy, which is sponsored by Eason, and sees him sit down with household names to discuss what books greatly influenced their lives. He is a weekly columnist with the Irish Mail on Sunday where he shares details about his new London life. And in the wings through it all has been Clare. The pair were spotted jogging in Dun Laoghaire and also together in the West of Ireland, where Ryan retreated after he was taken off the airwaves that June. Then they made their first red carpet appearance as a couple at the Irish Post Awards in London in November 2023, where they were pictured partying with singers Una Healy and Imelda May after he presented an award to Nadine Coyle. They've also been pictured at a Rose Of Tralee event with Ryan's ex Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, the couple shook it off at one of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concerts in Dublin in 2024 and Ryan happily cuddled up to his girlfriend at the opening of an alcohol company he has invested in, Muff Liquor, last summer too. Speaking to a publication soon after he made his big move to London, he revealed that Clare — whose Master's degree in Mental Health is from King's College — was also the person who was helping him settle into a new city. 'She's all over this. I don't need Chris Evans to show me around. Yeah, she's got this covered. She's wonderful,' he said, adding that their relationship h was 'one of the more lovely beacons in a sea of doubt'. 'If I can be a master of understatement here, I'll say that the last few months have been intense and I was lucky here and there – and Clare was certainly one of those lucky moments,' he said. And in another interview, when asked if Clare had been a major support amid the RTÉ payments scandal, he replied: 'Remarkably so.' Though he guards his private life, Ryan has had his share of heartbreak. He was married to producer Ann-Marie Power from 2003 until they separated in 2006, having previously told how he first met her in 1997 when he spotted her in a recording studio in RTÉ. 'She was going in to make a programme, I was going out. My head turned and my life changed. I pursued her relentlessly,' he shared. Ryan and Ann-Marie had two daughters together, Ella and Julia, who are now 26 and 19. Ryan clearly has a great relationship with his children, previously describing them as 'the least demanding young women you've ever met — they are beautiful souls'. Ryan went on to date Irish academic Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, another previous Rose of Tralee, following her appearance on his Saturday night chat show, Tubridy Tonight, in March 2009. Ryan reportedly asked her out after the show, in the RTÉ green room. In the week approaching his debut as host of The Late Late Show, he told a publication that Ní Shúilleabháin was a 'great support' and had transformed his life. In 2010 he also referred to Aoibhinn as his 'rock' since the death of friend and colleague Gerry Ryan. Speaking to the RTE Guide about his life off air in September 2008, Ryan was pretty specific about what type of woman he likes — and it's not just former Roses. 'I like intelligence, I like a good conversation. I like elegance, I like a girl who is feminine without being vain… also love a girl who appreciates darkness. I'm a lot darker than people think — plenty of dark humour,' he declared. However, after four years together, Aoibhinn and Ryan went their separate ways, with Aoibhinn marrying husband Carlos Diaz in 2017, and the couple are now parents to three children. Not much is known about Clare's former flames, but we know a little more about the background and professional life of the Leeds-born beauty, who moved to Athy with her family at the age of eight. She was educated at Scoil Mhuire, Athy and University College Galway, before studying in London and was working for the NHS when she entered the Rose of Tralee competition as the London Rose at the age of 26. Both Ryan and Clare have links to London and Galway — Clare returned to NUIG to complete her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, and after years of working across the gamut of mental health services, including in adult and forensic mental health and is now a psychologist in the HSE's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. There are many strings to her bow — and in Ryan's field of expertise too, as Clare was also at one time a presenter of RTÉ One's Eco Eye, a programme fronted by Duncan Stewart which brought to light ecological issues and how they are impacting society. And as part of her reign as Rose of Tralee she travelled to India with her mother, Breda, and her father, Ravi, to take part in a documentary about the Voluntary Services Overseas' charity work. In an interview back in April 2011, she enthused about how much she enjoyed her time as a Rose and the opportunities it afforded her, musing that had she not done it, she would never had got the chance to 'shake Obama's hand' or 'meet [Irish president] Mary McAleese'. And now, with Ryan at her side and Clare by his it's likely this power couple can manifest anything and everything together.
