Ryanair's boss Michael O'Leary decides to take a back seat in airline re-brand to stop 'unnecessarily p****** people off' Michael O'Leary, 52, has declared he is 'getting in the way' at Ryanair Believes his controversial image has reflected badly on the budget airline Removing himself from the public frontline, but will remain chief executive Ryanair has recently issued its second profits warning in two months His controversial comments have sparked outrage among customers. But now it appears Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has finally realised he needs to keep his mouth shut and take a back seat. The flamboyant tycoon, 52, has decided to remove himself from the public eye in a bid to 'stop unnecessarily p****** people off', adding: 'I'm getting in the way'. 'I'm getting in the way': Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has decided to remove himself from the public eye Mr O'Leary, who has gained a reputation as a corporate loudmouth, has been the face of Ryanair for almost 20 years. He has seen it through two decades of extraordinary growth - culminating in record profits growth of one per cent to 602million euros (£509.7million) last year. However, the budget airline - which has been criticised for treating its passengers 'like the enemy' - has recently been forced to issue its second profits warning in two months. Decline: However, the budget airline - which has been criticised for treating its passengers 'like the enemy' - has recently been forced to issue its second profits warning in two months Mr O'Leary has now ruled that his own image, shaped by decades of outspoken views, rude insults and expletive-filled interviews, has become ingrained in the Irish airline. He told The Guardian that he plans to take a step back from press conferences, interviews and other publicity events claiming that a more grown-up Ryanair is 'where it's got to be'. However, he added that he will retain his position of chief executive while new succession plans are put in place. The low-cost carrier is currently advertising for a marketing director, who will deliver the airline's messages on 'safety, customer service and low fares'. Outspoken: Mr O'Leary, who has gained a reputation as a corporate loudmouth, has been the face of Ryanair for almost 20 years. He has seen it through two decades of extraordinary growth Mr O'Leary's decision comes as Ryanair - which was recently voted the worst of 100 big brands by Which? readers - tries to revamp its negative image. Pay-per-pee In 2009, Mr O'Leary announced that passengers could be asked to pay as much as a pound to use the bathroom during a flight. 'We're thinking of putting a coin slot on the toilet so people may have to spend a pound to spend a penny,' he told the BBC Breakfast show. When asked if he would charge more than a pound, he replied: 'If someone wanted to pay £5 to go to the toilet I would carry them myself. I would wipe their bums for a fiver. Vertical seats A year later, the controversial tycoon asked customers whether they would think of vertical seats, akin to bar stools with seatbelts. His theory was that by removing 10 rows of seats and replacing them with 15 rows of vertical seats, flights could carry 30 per cent more passengers and slash costs by 20 per cent. Reservation charge This month, Ryanair has announced it will begin to allocate seats from next year - but it will still cost almost £5 if you want to choose it yourself. From February travellers can pay five euros - £4.23 - to choose their seat while the rest will be allocated in the 24 hours prior to departure. Who needs co-pilots? Mr O'Leary once remarked that co-pilots were only there to 'make sure the first fella doesn't fall asleep and knock over one of the computer controls'. He declared aviation authorities should axe the 'unnecessary' position and instead train a member of cabin crew to act as 'back-up' should anything happen to the pilot mid-flight. It has embarked on a series of steps to re-brand itself, including cutting penalties for baggage and lost boarding cards, introducing allocated seating and allowing customers to take a small second bag of hand-luggage on board for duty free goods. Yesterday, the airline announced plans to significantly increase the number of flights to major European cities from Stansted airport in the hope of expanding its business market. However, Mr O'Leary said he believes potential business passengers are being put off by his 'cheeky chappie' personality - declaring: 'This is where it has to change. I'm getting in the way of the brand stuff'. And on Tuesday, the budget airline unveiled a new, more corporate-looking blue and white colour scheme - with customers able to book a flight using less than half the number of clicks previously needed. Mr O'Leary's decision to retreat from the public eye is also likely to help keep the airline out of the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Last month, the outspoken tycoon was bombarded on Twitter after agreeing to host a question-and-answer session from customers. He posted a picture of himself on the social networking site dressed as a leprechaun before fielding tweets. Many customers told Mr O'Leary what an "a***hole" they thought he was - with user Andrew Riddell asking him: 'Have you by any chance just hired British Gas's former head of publicity you Plum'. The Ryanair boss replied: 'Hey, don't call me plum. Pudding would be more accurate!', before later admitting: 'I'm an a***hole. But they still love me. In an interview this month, Mr O'Leary claimed he was a 'Neanderthal' who believed men should not feel any pressure to help bring up their own children. He also compared himself to Jesus and insisted Ryanair only punishes customers who fail to comply with its rules. Only ten days earlier, he had declared that a passenger who complained at being charged to print out a new boarding pass was 'stupid'.