Joe Duffy’s Next Job Odds: Where Might He Go Next?
Daire Walsh
It would be slightly surreal given how long he has been part of the furniture in Montrose, but betting sites now believe there is a realistic prospect that Joe Duffy’s time at RTE could be coming to an end in the near future.
After first joining the national broadcaster in 1989, Duffy became the host of their flagship radio programme Liveline a decade later and remains at its helm to this very day.
However, his current contract with RTE is due to expire in the middle of 2025 and the company’s Director General Kevin Bakhurst explained in a recent interview with the Irish Mirror newspaper that the Dubliner hasn’t asked for a new contract at the broadcaster.
While he stressed on air yesterday that Duffy is yet to make a decision over whether or not he wants to extend his contract with RTE, there will nevertheless be great interest in where he might wind up in the event that he does step away.
Therefore, we thought it might be interesting to examine his potential options beyond the summer of 2024 and what odds would be available on the Ballyfermot native if the present speculation proves to be true.
Newstalk Could Be A Likely New Employer For Duffy
Originally launched in 2002 as a Dublin-centric radio station, Newstalk (or NewsTalk 106 as it was initially coined) subsequently became a national entity and stands alone as Ireland’s only commercial all-talk station.
It has attracted many high-profile presenters in its time, such as Eamon Dunphy, George Hook, Ivan Yates and David McWilliams.
Perhaps more crucially in the case of Duffy, Pat Kenny has had his own show on Newstalk since bringing a remarkable 41-year stint with RTE to an end in 2013.
Seeing how Kenny has made the station his home for such a long period of time (while also continuing to pursue TV projects) could prove to be very enticing for Duffy.
The odds of him swapping RTE for Newstalk’s Marconi House offices are currently 7/5 with specials betting sites and it certainly sticks out as a very attractive alterative for the 68-year-old.
Today FM Could Also Be In The Mix For Liveline Host
In a similar vein, Today FM is another Dublin-based station that could appeal to Duffy.
Despite being a sister station to Newstalk, it does have a unique identity and has been a staple of the Irish media since it was first launched under the guise of Radio Ireland on St Patrick’s Day, 1997.
The Last Word has proven to be a particularly popular programme, whether it be during the aforementioned Dunphy’s original run as presenter or the long-lasting reign of his replacement Matt Cooper.
Cork native Cooper is displaying no signs of departing his own role within Today FM, but Duffy is certainly someone who could attract interest from those at the station – even if it was just a weekend slot.
Though Newstalk would seem to be a more likely destination for him, Today FM are seen as relatively attractive suitors at 5/2.
Classic Hits Radio, FM 104 & Virgin Media Will Watch Duffy’s Next Moves
Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio and FM 104 might also be in the market for someone who has been one of RTE’s top earners for quite a number of years at this point and who would more than likely bring a strong listenership along with him.
Whereas Classic Hits are seen as a 5/1 possibility for Duffy, FM 104 is viewed as a slightly longer shot at 7/1.
Yet TV shouldn’t be ruled out as a possible venture for Duffy in the not-too-distant future.
After all, he has been seen extensively on television screens in the past couple of years as Gay Byrne’s replacement on The Meaning of Life.
His run as presenter of this show has seen Duffy interviewing notable personalities such as actor Rupert Everett, political spin doctor Alastair Campbell and former Father Ted star Ardal O’Hanlon.
Of all the existing TV programmes that are currently being aired, Virgin Media’s The Tonight Show is one that might best suit Duffy’s capabilities.
There have already been four presenters of this programme since it first aired in 2017 (albeit it is a production that utilises co-hosts) and given Duffy deals with very topical issues on Liveline, Virgin Media will potentially jump at the chance to get him on board.
At the moment, The Tonight Show is an interesting 4/1 option with betting apps for the veteran broadcaster.
Duffy May Remain At RTE Or Seek Opportunities Overseas
Of course, nothing is set in stone at the moment, and it is entirely possible that Duffy might yet remain at RTE Radio beyond next year – if he is interested in doing so and the right terms can be reached.
The odds of this happening are seen as an 8/1 possibility with new betting sites.
There has already been considerable change around RTE in the past 12 months with Ryan Tubridy departing their radio department in controversial fashion, a short while after he brought his stint as host of their flagship television programme The Late Late Show to a close.
Tubridy has since bounced back with his own show on Virgin Radio UK, which is simultaneously broadcast to Irish audiences on Q102.
Though Duffy’s work hasn’t really brought him outside of Ireland – Tubridy has previously been a stand-in for various presenters on the BBC – Virgin Radio is still seen as a reasonably enticing option for him at 10/1.
BBC Radio is another port of call that could be on the table, even if the idea of moving overseas for work may not be what Duffy is looking for at this point in his career.
The British Broadcasting Corporation has taken to Irish presenters in the past, however, and despite being an outside bet at 14/1, it shouldn’t be completely dismissed either.
Retirement Seems Unlikely For Dubliner At The Moment
There is also the possibility that Duffy could decide to ultimately move into retirement under the expiration of his RTE contract in the middle of next year.
Having worked with the national broadcaster for so long, he mightn’t necessarily be inclined to seek employment elsewhere.
Yet when you consider that he continues to work steadily, it is little surprise the prospect of him retiring is only seen as an 18/1 possibility.