Just taking a little holiday: Mix 102.3’s Soda and Erin off air again

Looking happy and healthy at the footy yesterday, Soda and Erin were a no-show on air this morning – with Mix bosses claiming they’re taking a “well-deserved” break.

Mark Soderstrom congratulates his radio partner and Crows player Erin Phillips after her win in the 2021 AFLW Round 9 match against Collingwood on Sunday. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty

Mark “Soda” Soderstrom and Erin Phillips will not return to their top-rating breakfast show until mid-April.

ARN’s chief content officer Duncan Campbell told The Advertiser after the huge start to the year the team behind Adelaide’s No.1 FM breakfast show need a break.

“We’ve made the decision to give them a well-deserved week off,” he said.

“Like all radio shows around the country, the team will be taking the scheduled survey break off air too.”

So all up that’s three weeks off.

This is the despite the station saying on Friday the popular pair would return to our airwaves on Monday, after two consecutive days off.

Most national radio shows take time off in ratings survey breaks – Thursday is the last day of the current survey, with most teams taking just two weeks off returning on April 19.

Mix 102.3’s crucial timeslot was again filled with music this morning and hosted by the show’s regular anchor Shane Lowe, a former star of rival station Nova 919.

Soderstrom and Phillips were unavailable for comment.

Mystery continues to surround Soda and Phillips’ absence from their show.

Last week the station claimed Soderstrom was ill despite him fulfilling his usual Channel 7 sports presenting duties at night and commentating the round 9 AFLW Crows clash with the Magpies at Norwood Oval, in which the Crows defeated Collingwood to become minor premiers. Soda and Phillips were all smiles after that game, with Soda congratulating Phillips after the game.

On Friday station management assured Mix fans the team would be back on Monday, doubling down on their claims that Soderstrom was not well.

“The Mix 102.3 Breakfast Show was off air on Thursday and Friday as Mark Soderstrom was unwell. ARN won’t comment further on our team members’ health but we are excited to tell you that Erin and Soda will be back on air on Monday.

“They are both looking forward to being back on air and we know their listeners are, too.”

Station insiders said last week Soda was not ill.

Another radio insider last week said it was very unusual for both breakfast presenters to be off air in a ratings period.

“There has to be more to it,” the source said.

Erin Phillips and Mark Soda Soderstrom.

This latest controversy comes after longtime Mix 102.3 co-host Jodie Oddy abruptly left the station in November without explanation. Oddy has since refused to talk about the reasons for her departure.

Another insider hinted there have been issues with new content director Richie Wright, who was appointed to the position in October, replacing Barry Keohane.

The Advertiser asked the station if Wright had anything to do with the current situation but they would not comment directly.

Phillips took over full-time from Oddy in January and helped the new-look breakfast program maintain top spot on the FM dial in the year’s first ratings survey.

Phillips and Soderstrom are behind only ABC Adelaide radio presenter Ali Clarke and FIVEaa duo David Penberthy and Will Goodings in the overall breakfast ratings.