Joel Creasey Announces Solo National Show Following Nova Radio Reshuffle
Comedian and radio host Joel Creasey has unveiled his next major career move, confirming he will not be joining his co-stars Ricki-Lee Coulter and Tim Blackwell on their new breakfast show. Instead, the 35-year-old has secured his very own national programme on the Nova network.
Major Schedule Changes at Nova
The announcement comes after Nova revealed a significant shake-up to its programming lineup on Friday. The station has axed the long-running Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie from the early morning slot, replacing them with Ricki-Lee & Tim. This move left fans of the current Drive show, which features Joel as the third presenter, confused about his future role.
During the final broadcast of Ricki-Lee, Tim & Joel, Creasey clarified the situation with characteristic humour. "Very much inspired by the heavenly Chrissie Swan, I'm going solo," he declared. "What were they thinking! You'll be able to hear The Joel Creasey Show nationally at lunchtimes."
He jokingly added, "And yeah, I guess the boss has figured the world is already on fire. Let's just pour more gasoline onto it and see what chaos he can cause!"
Friendly Banter and Breakfast Comparisons
His co-hosts responded with light-hearted remarks about the timing of his new show. Tim Blackwell, 44, quipped, "When you think about it, lunchtime for you is kind of breakfast radio for you… we're all kind of getting up earlier."
Ricki-Lee Coulter, 40, chimed in, "You've got your own version of breakfast!" to which Joel replied, "I really do! That is my breakfast."
Nova has since confirmed in an official media release that The Joel Creasey Show is scheduled to debut in April, marking a new chapter for the popular presenter.
Fitzy & Wippa Transition to National Drive
The broader reshuffle sees Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald, Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli, and Kate Ritchie moving from their breakfast slot to national Drive time. The trio announced the change during their final breakfast broadcast on Friday.
Wippa, 46, explained, "After 15 years of doing this breakfast radio show, the Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie show, they have finally completed their apprenticeship, and they're going to be graduating to the national drive time position."
Fitzy, 48, reassured listeners, "Now, I know there's probably a lot of people freaking out thinking that we were going to leave. We're not. This is not a goodbye at all. This is the evolution of the show."
He elaborated on the transition, "We've been dropping you and the kids off at school every morning, but now we're just going to be driving you home in the afternoon. It's as simple as that."
Kate Ritchie's Continued Role and Humour
Kate Ritchie, 47, joined in the banter, noting her continued presence on the show. "Well, Kate Ritchie's not being dropped from the show! And I think that's because I finally learned how to spell my name, so I don't need to see it on the side of buses," she joked.
In a statement, Ritchie expressed her enthusiasm for the move, "I've absolutely loved my time with the boys on Sydney Breakfast and I'm thrilled we now get to share our show with all of Australia."
She added, "My morning alarm is ready and waiting to be set for packing school lunch and doing drop-off again with the beauty of entertaining our loyal listeners on their drive home. It'll be an exciting evolution for all of us."
Optimism from the Hosts
Wippa shared her optimistic outlook, stating, "The time has come to share the love with the rest of the country."
Fitzy echoed this sentiment, "I'm so proud of what we've achieved with our audience in Sydney over the past 15 years, but equally excited to open up to our national family."
All these programming changes are set to take effect on Monday, February 9, 2026, marking a significant transformation for Nova's radio offerings across Australia.
