Oliver Callan described the RTÉ payments controversy as a "good old RTÉ scandal" that was sprinkled with "shambles" as he filled in for Ryan Tubridy on RTÉ Radio One.
On Thursday, RTÉ admitted that it paid its top-earning presenter hundreds of thousands of euro more over a period of several years than it declared to the public and the Oireachtas.
Following the revelations, it was announced that Tubridy would not present his weekly radio show on RTÉ One on Friday morning.
Standing in for the former Late Late Show host comedian Oliver Callan said: "It's Friday - a bit of a weird Friday, I must concede."
He continued: "Clearly this is the last place I expected to be less than 24 hours ago, but here we are, and the reasons are fairly obvious, especially as I get to the review of the newspapers because the usual presenter of the show is the subject of every single front page.
"The wider media, it has to be said, do enjoy a good old RTE scandal - and boy did RTE whip up and serve a cool one for them with a flake on top and sprinkles of shambles."
After encouraging listeners to contact the show with messages, Callan added: "We have a show for you and the ordinary decent staff of the programme have been working away as they always do very, very early in the morning.
"We're all here to serve, and bear in mind they are at the receiving end of all those messages here and across the programmes today. It's an RTE story, so on the one hand we could be accused of talking too much about ourselves, but if I ignored it this morning on this programme I'd be doing a disservice for you."
After reading out newspaper headlines about the controversy, Callan added: "I'd say for everyone involved yesterday was like starring in a mini-private episode of Succession with the bombshells and the media chatter, phones buzzing, 'who's going to get the blame for this?', and watching the thing about yourself on the news and television with a fresh pair of underpants within lunging distance, I'd imagine, for everyone concerned."
Read: RTÉ's full statement on payments to Ryan Tubridy
Tubridy surprised by RTÉ announcements on payments
RTÉ payments 'a breach of trust unparalled in RTÉ history' - NUJ
