Ryan Tubridy opens up on emotional trip to Ethiopia with his daughter: 'It got under my skin'

Ryan Tubridy in Addis Ababa at GOAL Street Child Programmes

Ryan Tubridy was inspired to visit Ethiopia because the migrant crisis is “the Irish story in many aspects”.

The RTE broadcaster today opened up about his emotional journey to an Ethiopian refugee camp with his 16-year-old daughter.

Tubs revealed: “Two months ago I was doing the papers and there was a story about hundreds of people who had died off the boats on the Mediterranean.

“And I thought I’d stop for a minute and just look at it, and if you look really closely at it you’re looking at the Irish story in many aspects.

“When you read about and see things that are happening in the Mediterranean, it’s really easy to say ‘I don’t care, it’s too far away’.

“But for some reason it got under my skin.”

Ryan said the experience was 'enormous' for him and his daughter

And the 42-year-old told RTE Radio1 host Marian Finucane that his visit to Africa was a real eye-opener.

He revealed: “I had never been to Africa, let alone Ethiopia, so I said ‘yeah I need to go to a refugee camp’.

“I come from a place where Ethiopia equals Band Aid so I was in my ignorance, expecting something along those lines.

“But it was nothing of the sort, Ethiopia’s come a long way.”

Tubridy said he wasn’t sure if his daughter Ella would be up for the challenge but the experience ended up being an “enormous” one for both of them to take in.

He explained: “I was very interested to see if she would come and I was watching her texting and whatsapping her friends and saying, ‘Look at this’.

“What we saw was so enormous that we needed time to absorb it.”

Game on: Ryan Tubridy in Addis Ababa at GOAL Street Child Programmes

Now that he’s back home, Tubs is getting ready to present a new 9am slot on RTÉ Radio 1.

He’s heading back to the station after five years with 2fm, having previously presented The Tubridy Show on Radio 1 from 2005 until 2010 to fill John Murray’s old slot from September.

John Murray fronted his show for five years after he took over the slot vacated by Tubs when he made the leap to 2fm.

But soon Tubs will be back in the hot seat and is “up for the challenge” - although it’s understood he won’t be replaced on 2fm.

Tubridy said: “It’s with mixed emotions that I say goodbye to 2fm and hello again to Radio 1.

“The last few years have been spent building a loyal and engaged listenership thanks to the hardest working team in Irish radio; I am extremely grateful to them.”

Source: irishmirror.ie