In a heartfelt announcement that has rocked Sydney's radio landscape, 2DayFM breakfast host Jimmy Smith has revealed he is stepping down from his role to focus on his mental health.
The 35-year-old presenter, who co-hosted the Jimmy & Nath Breakfast Show alongside Emma Chow, made the emotional disclosure on Friday, describing it as "one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make".
A Difficult Decision for Mental Wellbeing
Smith explained that taking time away from the programme made him realise the extent of his struggles. "Taking this week off made me realise just how much I've been struggling with my mental health," he stated. "I'm not okay right now, and I need to step back and focus on getting well."
His co-hosts Nath Roye and Emma Chow will continue presenting the show for the remainder of the year, though Smith's departure marks another significant change for the troubled breakfast slot.
2DayFM's Troubled Breakfast History
Smith becomes the latest casualty in what has become a revolving door of breakfast presenters at 2DayFM since the departure of Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson in 2013. The station has experimented with seven different line-ups in a persistent effort to reclaim audience share from their former stars, who now dominate ratings on KIIS FM.
The station's breakfast show struggles began immediately after Sandilands and Henderson's defection, with the 2014 lineup of Merrick Watts, Jules Lund, Sophie Monk and Mel Brown lasting less than a year. Former Spice Girl Mel B departed first after her six-month contract expired, followed by Sophie Monk who cited the early starts as too demanding.
A Decade of Failed Formations
The subsequent years saw multiple high-profile attempts to stabilise the breakfast programme:
- 2015: Dan Debuf and Maz Compton moved from national night and drive-time slots to breakfast, but were shifted to weekends after just eight months with only 3.6% audience share
- 2016: Rove McManus and Sam Frost took over but began 2016 with a meagre 3% market share before being moved to nights in January 2017
- 2017: Em Rusciano and Harley Breen's partnership ended when Breen left to focus on stand-up comedy
- 2018: The trio of Rusciano, Ed Kavalee and Grant Denyer collapsed when Rusciano announced her departure to focus on comedy and her third child
- 2019: Grant Denyer, Ed Kavalee and Ash London saw ratings crash to their worst in almost two years with just 3.1% of breakfast audience
- 2020: Dave Hughes, Ed Kavalee and Erin Molan's tenure ended last August after their show dropped to 3.6 market share
The Human Cost of Radio Ratings Wars
Denyer later revealed the personal toll of his dismissal, describing it as probably his "most painful" professional experience. He recounted having lunch with an executive who promised him a five-year contract extension, only to be told "that was your last show" just one week later.
The constant reshuffling and pressure to perform in the competitive Sydney radio market appears to have taken its toll on presenters, with Smith's departure highlighting the mental health challenges facing those in high-profile broadcasting roles.
Smith's courageous decision to prioritise his wellbeing continues an important conversation about mental health in the media industry, while simultaneously underscoring the persistent challenges 2DayFM faces in establishing a successful breakfast programme.
