THE LATE LATE Show presenter Ryan Tubridy has defended Friday night’s interview with popstar Ronan Keating after a barrage of complaints on Twitter, and in today’s papers.

On the show, Tubridy briefly addressed the issue of Ronan Keating’s affair last year with backing dancer Francine Cornell, referring to the singer’s “personal problems”. Keating replied by saying:

It was a crazy year. I guess the press went pretty crazy on me and I think they were only too happy to jump. They were waiting for an opportunity.

Much of the negative response to the interview focused on the fact that Keating appeared to have been let away with blaming the media for his affair.

Tubridy returned to the issue on his 2fm radio show this morning, prefacing his comments by saying “trial by Twitter is not the answer to proper journalism”, but said that he had received some reasonable texts on the issue – including one he read out, asking him why he “let Ronan Keating off so lightly”, when people like Taoiseach Brian Cowen had “got a grilling”.

Brian Cowen was the Taoiseach and deserved a grilling.. .Ronan Keating’s a popstar and he appears to have had some indiscretion – you’re read about it, you know about it, I asked him about it, and he answered.

Tubridy added:

He’s trying to get on with it – he has little children, and they’re going to school today and I respect that. What more do you want? Do you want him to be grilled?

The Late Late Show presenter added that he didn’t want to dwell on the criticism he’d received for the interview. He added that he didn’t read the comments of people who simply don’t like what he does – but is happy to respond to reasoned criticism.

I didn’t buy the papers yesterday, except the Sunday Times. I don’t believe in dwelling on the negative stuff, it’s not my bag. If it really bothers you, there’s plenty of places to go today to talk about it.