The Newstalk presenter and Sunday Independent columnist is the third high-profile personality to announce they are parting ways with NK Management, which also represents Ryan Tubridy.
“I have been with NK management since my Operation Transformation days in 2014 and throughout that time they served me very well as my agent,” Dr Kelly told Independent.ie.
“However, in order to fully interrogate the RTÉ payments issue going forward, to remain impartial and fulfil my objective public service broadcasting remit (Yes we have one outside RTÉ too) I believe I have to now step away from the agency and as of today I no longer retain them as my agent.”
On Friday, Virgin Media’s Tonight Show presenter Ciara Doherty also quit her ties to NK Management amid the ongoing payment scandal at RTÉ.
Ms Doherty said she wanted viewers to be able to trust her to be “fully impartial”.
“As a presenter on The Tonight Show on Virgin Media Television, it’s important that I am able to cover news stories and ask probing questions of our guests with total impartiality on behalf of viewers and I have always done this,” she said.
“It is also important that viewers believe and trust me to be fully impartial. With this in mind, I have decided to part company with NK management.”
And in the past week 2FM presenter Lottie Ryan also announced she is no longer represented by NK Management.
“My relationship with NK management ended a number of weeks ago when we respectfully parted ways. I will not be making any further comment,” she said.
Many well-known broadcasters are represented by NK Management, including RTÉ’s Tubridy, Claire Byrne, Joe Duffy, Kathryn Thomas, Doireann Garrihy and Drivetime host Cormac Ó hEadhra, along with faces from the independent sector including Today FM’s Matt Cooper and Newstalk’s Pat Kenny.
RTÉ hosts Byrne and Duffy have been given the green light by the broadcaster to cover their agent’s Oireachtas committee appearance next week.
This is despite Noel Kelly having negotiated their salaries, as well as the controversial secret deal for Tubridy.
Kelly has not spoken publicly since the scandal broke, but along with Tubridy is due to appear before both the Oireachtas Media Committee and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) next Tuesday.
Incoming RTÉ DG Kevin Bakhurst describes mission to rebuild trust in the organisation
