ABC 774 Melbourne has announced a major shake-up of its on-air talent for 2025.
Media veteran Brigitte Duclos has been bounced into the afternoons slot currently occupied by Trevor Chappell.
Taking the up the position in the new year, this will be the 60-year-old’s first high-profile gig at the ABC after 30 years in commercial radio, including roles at Triple M, Mix, and Gold.
Duclos also worked in television as a presenter at Channel Seven and Channel 10.
Meanwhile, Chappell, 63, has been moved to Overnight, which he originally hosted for twenty years between 2003 and 2023.
The show is currently hosted by Michael Pavlich and Rod Quinn
Funnyman Charlie Pickering is also part of the new line-up for ABC 774 Melbourne next year.
The comedian is set to launch as new one hour weekly music and comedy show on Fridays, called Thank God It’s Friday.
Additionally, the shake up will see new time slots for Jacinta Parsons and Brian Nankervis, who will host programs on Saturday mornings.
Nankervis will take over Alice Zaslavsky’s breakfast show, while Parsons is set to present the Victorian Saturday Mornings show in 2025, following current host Matt Preston’s decision to step down.
It comes after radio host Sammy J has announced earlier this month that he was exiting ABC Radio Melbourne after five years.
Sammy J, who has been hosting the ABC Radio Melbourne Breakfast show since before the pandemic, expressed that he is leaving the program with ‘pride’ and gratitude.
‘Hosting Melbourne Breakfast was an unexpected opportunity that became an unexpected joy,’ said Sammy J, whose real name is Samuel Jonathan McMillan.
‘But radio demands all of you and deserves nothing less, and after five years I’m ready to trade the 4:15am alarm for more regular hours.’
‘I leave with pride, gratitude, and a litany of cash-for-comment scandals that will be revealed in due course.’
ABC Radio Melbourne Acting Manager Shelley Hadfield said Sammy J has had a huge impact on audiences.
‘Sammy has asked the questions we never knew we wanted answered,’ Ms Hadfield said.
‘He’s grilled the Prime Minister and the Premier, he broke the news to Melbourne of the Queen’s death, and he’s interviewed musicians, magicians, meatworkers and mathematicians.’
‘But it’s Sammy’s connection with the audience which has been a hallmark of his time at 774. You only had to see the listeners turn up at the crack of dawn for his outside broadcasts to understand what an impact he has had on people’s lives.’
Sammy J’s last broadcast will be December 13, with more announcements about ABC Radio Melbourne’s 2025 line-up expected over the next week.
Sammy’s departure comes just months after the radio host took an X-rated swipe at KIIS FM’s Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson after they lost out in the Melbourne market in August.
The radio duo placed fifth in this month’s survey, while Sammy J had a boost in the ratings for his ABC breakfast show.
Earlier this month the national broadcaster announced that the new ABC Melbourne 774 breakfast team would be ex AFL Western Bulldogs coach Robert Murphy and former Seven reporter Sharnelle Vella.
