Could Carrie Bickmore take over 2DayFM breakfast after quitting The Project?

As she prepares to depart her long-held post on evening television screens with The Project, TV host Carrie Bickmore’s next move could be obvious. Annette Sharp has the details.

Is Carrie Bickmore the solution to 2DayFM’s breakfast woes?
With 2DayFM’s breakfast show ratings languishing at a 3.6 per cent audience share in the latest radio rating survey, speculation is rife that station owner Southern Cross Austereo will finally be forced to move on Dave Hughes, Ed Kavalee and Erin Molan in the next month and replace the underperforming trio.

After two disastrous years in SCA’s cursed breakfast slot, SCA finally appear to have a solution at hand.

All radio execs need do is transplant their popular drive show into the slot.

Given that show is currently hosted by Bickmore and Tommy Little, such a move would make excellent sense.

Departing The Project star Carrie Bickmore. Picture: Supplied

The breakfast radio slot is more lucrative than drive hence the salary bump would also help Bickmore make up the six-figure disparity following her departure from Ten.

Mother of three Bickmore is understood to be eager to spend more time with her children and not keen to relocate to Sydney, putting a dampener on talk she has designs on a Sydney-based TV role.

Bickmore fought back tears as she announced her departure from The Project last week.

One of the show’s original hosts, Bickmore dropped the bombshell news at the end of Tuesday night’s program.

Her departure comes after 13 years with the Channel 10 program she established with Charlie Pickering.

2DayFM’s drive duo Tommy Little and Carrie Bickmore … are they headed for the breakfast slot? Picture: Ian Currie

“I have some news I wanted to share tonight that after 13 years at The Project desk I have made the tough decision to finish up hosting the show at the end of the year,” she said.

“It’s been the hardest decision of my professional life but it’s time for a new challenge and my next chapter. I am going to miss my best mates on the desk, the job itself which is so incredibly fulfilling and our wonderful viewers so much.

“The show has become a second home to me and I couldn’t be more thankful to everyone involved in it. I started the show when Ollie was one and he is now 15, which is crazy.

“I look forward to more family dinners and watching the show with my PJ’s on and a wine in hand. I’ll say more to the amazing people I work with when it’s time to say my final goodbye … but for now I will enjoy every show I have left til the end of the year.

Carrie Bickmore and her partner Chris Walker are hoping to spend more time together when Bickmore steps away from The Project. Picture: Instagram

“I just want to say thank you, it has been an incredible privilege.”

An emotional Bickmore said the easy decision would be to stay, but the time was right for her and her young family.

“I want to find out who I am without this show,” she said.

“This show is so much in my DNA, I don’t know who I am without it. I want to go to more piano practices and cricket training sessions. I know it’s time, I know it’s right.

“I’m not leaving TV, my son sent me a message saying ‘I want to see my retirement’ — honey I’m not retiring. I’m going to move onto something different which I do not know what that is yet.”

Bickmore stepped away from The Project earlier this year to spend three months in Europe.

Co-host Peter Helliar paid tribute to Bickmore and her contribution to The Project.

The original team of The Project: Dave Hughes, Charlie Pickering and Carrie Bickmore on the set.

“We’re still getting our heads around it and we don’t know what the future’s like. You are the soul of this show, the captain of this show,” Helliar said.

Paramount ANZ, the media and entertainment entity behind Channel 10, also released a statement in the wake of Bickmore’s announcement.

“Carrie Bickmore is synonymous with The Project, having graced our screens and won our hearts during the premiere episode on July 20, 2009,” executive vice president and chief content officer Beverley McGarvey said.

“I know this has been a very difficult decision for Carrie, and although we are all very sad that she will no longer be on The Project we fully respect her decision and wish her nothing but the best for her next adventure.”

Bickmore’s final appearance on The Project is slated for Wednesday, November 30.

Originally published as Could Carrie Bickmore take over 2DayFM breakfast after quitting The Project?