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Claire Byrne Sets February 3 Debut as Newstalk Mid-Morning Host

She cites turning 50 as the catalyst for a fresh challenge focused on growing Newstalk’s audience.

Overview

  • Byrne will present Newstalk’s 9am–12pm weekday slot from February 3, taking over the mid-morning show as Pat Kenny moves to weekends.
  • In a Late Late Show interview, she described stepping into Kenny’s former slot as intimidating but said she is excited to launch a new programme.
  • She signalled a competitive stance toward RTÉ rivals, quipping about nearly hitting David McCullagh with her car and declaring she aims to outperform him and Oliver Callan.
  • Byrne said the move follows stepping back from RTÉ roles to improve family balance after years of juggling daily radio and late-night television.
  • Addressing pay scrutiny, she noted she had disclosed her RTÉ earnings, said staying would have involved a pay cut, and acknowledged her exit prompted a major RTÉ Radio 1 schedule reshuffle.