Ivan Yates is calling time on his broadcasting career.
Ivan Yates is set to step down from his broadcasting roles at both Newstalk and Virgin Media, according to an all-staff email circulated at Newstalk yesterday.
While Yates has yet to issue an official statement, it is expected that he will retire from broadcasting by the end of July, and plans to return to his native Wexford.
The 60-year-old currently hosts the daily Hard Shoulder show on Newstalk, and co-hosts The Tonight Show on Virgin Media with Matt Cooper. Earlier this year, he moderated a leaders’ debate ahead of the 2020 general election alongside Cooper.
Originally a Fine Gael TD for Wexford between 1981 and 2002, Yates became a broadcaster in 2009 and gained popularity and notoriety with his abrasive style.
Yates also went on to own a chain of bookmakers called Celtic Bookmakers, though they entered receivership during the financial crisis. Yates was discharged from bankruptcy in 2013.
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