The 2 Johnnies issued an apology after a video of theirs was met with criticism.
After RTÉ conducted an investigation, it has been confirmed that John O’Brien and John McMahon, or The 2 Johnnies, will return to 2FM with their show Drive It later this month.
The show had been temporarily pulled by the station after a social media post of The 2 Johnnies using misogynistic language was circulated.
The now deleted video contained several crude references to women and female genitalia as they read aloud car stickers sent in from podcast listeners.
Since conducting an investigation, RTÉ has confirmed that the pair will return to the airwaves.
A statement from the broadcaster said that they have “engaged intensively with The 2 Johnnies in respect of the breaches of our social media guidelines, the standards expected with RTÉ content and the challenges of moving from an unregulated space into one where regulations apply”.
The head of 2Fm, Dan Healy, said that his station took the matter “very seriously”, and pointed to O’Brien and McMahon’s apology.
Mr Healy said: “They have apologised, and we’ve been talking since about where we go from here. They are aware of the standards we expect and are absolutely committed to upholding them.”
— The 2 Johnnies (@the2johnnies) February 24, 2022
He added: “We are looking forward to working with The 2 Johnnies as we work together to bring a fresh approach to drivetime. That’s the job they were taken on to do and the show we want to offer the audience.”
O’Brien and McMahon have said that they are “extremely excited” about returning to the airwaves.
A statement from the pair said: “We had a great welcome at 2fm last week and are eager to work with Dan and the 2fm family again, acknowledging the lessons we’ve learned and committing to put these into action.
“Coming from a different environment it is a privilege to get the chance to have a national conversation five days a week, and we appreciate that with this comes great responsibility and a lot is now expected of us.
“We are determined to create a successful radio show and work with everyone in 2fm to show the nation the best of us. We would like to thank 2fm for working through this with us”.
After the video emerged last week, it was met with criticism from many, including Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns.
She told the Irish Independent that it was “bizarre to see two prominent podcasters, and 2FM broadcasters, promote a segment on their podcast in which they read virulently sexist slogans while laughing uproariously.
“Sexist comments, in which women are objectified and demeaned, are incredibly insidious and contribute to a toxic culture in which women feel unsafe.”
