Beau Ryan has briefly addressed the cheating accusations made against him in the first few minutes of The Footy Show's NRL grand final special on Thursday night.

Ryan emerged from the smokey stage for the live broadcast, returning three weeks after reports of an affair with former Hi-5 star Lauren Brant threatened to curtail his television career.

"Firstly I just want to apologise to all the people who've been hurt recently," Ryan said as the broadcast kicked off.

"It's been really, really hard for myself and my family," Ryan told his co-hosts, "...everyone involved."

"I'm not here to talk about my private life," he said before thanking those who respected his privacy.

"I'd love for people to continue to do that," he said.

"But I'm not here to talk about my private life ... I'm here to talk about a Grand Final," he said to cheers from the arena crowd.

"I'm just happy to be back," he said.

@NRLFootyShow it's good to see beau Ryan again!! Footy show was incomplete without him— Candice ツ (@divarko) October 1, 2015

Initial reports suggested Ryan had been stood down from The Footy Show for the rest of the year after it was revealed he cheated on his childhood sweetheart and wife of three years, Kara Orrell.

Ryan was spotted filming a pre-recorded segment in Townsville for The Footy Show's grand final show on Tuesday.

The scandal cost Ryan dearly, after he was dropped from his role as a brand ambassador for Woolworths following the allegations.

I dunno how I feel about #BeauRyan @NRLFootyShow— Stephie (@StephanieColosi) October 1, 2015

But Channel Nine have thrown the former NRL star a lifeline by giving him the chance to return to the show and continue filming his popular segments.

Ryan, 30, has spent the past few weeks overseas with his family, including his two-year-old daughter Remi, trying to sort out his marital problems which became public after Brant's former fiance, Warren Riley, told Woman's Day magazine how his partner was cheating on him with Ryan.

Riley learned of the affair - which is said to have taken place when the pair were working on the Sydney production of Aladdin and his Wondrous Lamp - while he and Brant were in New Zealand.

"I've been away addressing some personal issues," Ryan told News Limited.

"Since returning from a holiday [in America] I have been overwhelmed by the support we have received.

"I'm very much looking forward to getting back to work on Thursday with the rest of the guys."