Wendy Harmer & Robbie Buck to leave ABC Radio Sydney Breakfast in December

Former Editor & Content Director

ABC Radio in Sydney will next year have a new Breakfast show.

Current hosts Wendy Harmer and Robbie Buck have announced they will finish up at the end of the year, with their final show taking place on Friday, December 10.

The pair said the decision was entirely theirs, that they wanted to go out on a high, and that the time ‘felt right’ for a change.

Harmer – a radio stalwart who boasts stints on the high-rating 2DayFM Breakfast show The Morning Crew in the 1990s, as well as time at 3AK, Vega and ABC Radio National – said she had loved her time at the ABC across both the Morning and Breakfast shifts.

She also paid tribute to her co-host, her audience and her team.

“I hadn’t worked with Robbie, but the decision to put us together on Brekkie turned out to be inspired,” she said. “For the past four years we’ve got to know each other at the same time as the audience and it has blossomed into a fabulous on-air partnership and a wonderful friendship too. Lots of laughs, great music and, hopefully, keeping our Sydney audience informed.

“I’m in awe of Robbie’s radio craft – such an accomplished broadcaster. He’s been a truly generous co-host. Thank you, Robbie, for everything.

“And what a team of talented producers I’ve been lucky enough to work with every day. Their support, knowledge and dedication has been outstanding. I could not have wished for more.

“I will also very much miss our passionate, clever, loyal listeners from here and all over the world. Thank you, one and all, for tuning in.

“Hopefully it’s not ‘goodbye’ forever and Robbie and I will turn up together on a future project.”

Buck, meanwhile, has been with the ABC for 25 years and in the Breakfast chair for eight. He said the time feels right to take a break.

“I’ve enjoyed every minute of this job and sharing the gig with Wendy over the past three yers has been an absolute joy,” he said.

“We’ve been through a lot together. We always enjoyed each other’s company and I think that’s what’s made the partnership so good. I now plan to take a year away from the mic and see the world. It’s not goodbye to the ABC. You’ll see me back in some capacity in 2023.”

ABC Radio Sydney’s outgoing manager, Melanie Withnall, noted the duo still have two months on air together, and said the ABC will farewell them in style.

“We knew this day would come, but I respect their decision to call it when it feels right for both of them,” she said.

“Obviously their decision is a huge loss for the station. We’ve just achieved record audience numbers, and Wendy and Robbie are in a strong second spot in the Sydney market. They’ll be an incredibly hard act to follow, but we are well progressed on who will replace them next year.”

Harmer and Buck have achieved some impressive milestones in the ratings in recent years, overtaking KIIS’ The Kyle & Jackie O Show in 2020 to be placed #2, behind only Alan Jones.

The ABC Breakfast show has been tipped as a contender to dethrone market-leader 2GB since Ben Fordham took over from Alan Jones, however this has not happened yet.

At the most recent survey, 2GB had 16.8% in Breakfast, while Buck and Harmer had 14.0%, and KIIS’ Kyle & Jackie O had 12.1%.

There are still three surveys remaining this year. Survey 6 will be released this Thursday, October 7.

The announcement about the new 2022 Breakfast show will be made in the coming fortnight.

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Matt
6 Oct 2021 - 8:01 am

Wendy Harmer is going back to 2Day breakfast.

JASON ANDREW TOPPIN
8 Oct 2021 - 5:51 pm

I HAVE CALLED SEN SWOTCH IN MELBOURNE AND MENTUINED TI CRAIG HUTCHISON ABOUT WEMDY HARMER AND RIBBIE BUCK ANF HIW THEY ARE FUNISHING OFF AT ABC RADIO SYDHEY BEAKFAST AND HIW HE SHPIULD SIGN THE TI 11709 SEN MELBOURNE AS FILL INS ON 1170 SEDN AND AS SPORTS CALLERS.

Grey the fence
2 Mar 2022 - 3:02 pm

I know late is better then never, but only found this out today when listening to ABC sydney for the first time in about three months. HOORAY!!! So glad Buck and Harmer have left ABC SYdney, couldn’t stand Bucks voice, and their very small “latte coffee” view of the world, from his “lovely unvluttered shoe box” unit that he keeps talking about, and their constant rage on plastic got old very quickly. Go bucky, crush that spring water bottle with vigour. Vinyl democracy was the same 60s 70s cliche crap, this guy represented everything I disliked about the so called “establishment clique” announcers, they think they are so hot, wile in actual fact they are nothing special, more run of the mill. James Valentine is a breath of fresh air, funny and uplifting without any of the ego crap, hope he’ll bring back that “Kilby” guy and his lost 45s, he was great.

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