3AW’s Ross Stevenson tested for COVID after sporting croaky voice on radio last week

Melbourne’s 3AW Breakfast co-host Ross Stevenson has undergone a test for COVID-19 after struggling with a croaky voice on-air last week.

Executive producer Kate Stevenson, no relation to Ross, joined Russel Howcroft on-air on Monday morning to explain Ross’ absence.

“I believe he got croakier on the weekend and he’s gone off and had a COVID test, which is going to be negative, but you know, didn’t quite get back in time last night for him to make it in this morning,” Kate Stevenson said.

“Well, he’s obviously done the right thing,” said Howcroft, who himself had a test a couple of weeks ago.

The duo discussed how Stevenson had administered the test himself, with Howcroft noting just how uncomfortable the process is.

Howcroft recently revealed his feelings about how ratings success since joining 3AW Breakfast, and why he believes talkback radio should be generating more revenue.

UPDATE 20 October: Stevenson was back on air on Tuesday morning after returning a negative result to the COVID-19 test.

Stevenson said on air on Tuesday morning that there were a lot of people in Melbourne getting tested.

“The person who had the test before me was an 11-month-old baby,” he told Howcroft in the first talk break. “Now can you imagine what noises are produced by an 11-month-old baby that has that thing stuck up their nose and then down the back of their throat. So, the health professional is then telling me what to do, giving me my instructions, and it was like a scene from, I’m going ‘Sorry, I genuinely can’t hear a word you’re saying.'”

Stevenson said the process was very efficient, and Howcroft noted it was “fantastic” that the turnaround time on results was only 18 hours.