Mark ‘Soda’ Soderstrom back on radio, joins Rebecca Morse on SAFM breakfast show

Mark Soderstrom will make a return to breakfast radio in 2023, while another radio presenter bites the dust.

Mark Soderstrom will step into the SAFM breakfast radio hot seat vacated by Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello.

The former Mix 102.3 host will join returning presenter Rebecca Morse on the station’s new early morning program from January, with comedian Anthony ‘Lehmo’ Lehmann also getting the axe in changes revealed on Friday morning.

Costello’s departure – after three years on-air alongside Morse – was announced a fortnight ago.

Less than 11 months after he quit Mix 102.3, Soderstrom said he’s looking forward to getting back on the radio airwaves as one-half of the new Bec and Soda Breakfast show.

“I’ve really missed chatting to Adelaide at brekkie time and cannot wait to get back in front of a microphone again at the mighty SAFM,” he said.

“Bec is sharp, intelligent and witty, so she will put me in my place in no time!”

Morse added: “Soda is one of the best in the business and has a big heart when it comes to caring about South Australians. As long as he doesn’t bang on about all of his marathons, we are going to have a lot of fun together.”

Soda will join returning presenter Rebecca Morse. Picture Matt Turner.

He’s taking the radio hot seat vacated by Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello. Picture: Matt Loxton

It’s expected Soderstrom will also call football matches on SAFM’s sister station, Triple M.

The Bec, Cosi and Lehmo show finished fifth overall in the breakfast timeslot in the year’s penultimate radio ratings survey, and third on the FM dial behind Triple M and Nova 919.

Morse and Costello were on-air together for three years, with Lehmann joining the team in July 2020.

Funnyman Lehmann will return to Melbourne and stay with the Southern Cross Austereo family, as part of the Triple M Melbourne programming.

Soderstrom, who is also a sports presenter and football commentator for 7 News Adelaide, pulled the pin at Mix in December last year after eight years with the station – many of them at the top of the breakfast ratings alongside Jodie Oddy.

His exit followed a drop in the ratings for the breakfast show and the station.

In January, he was replaced at Mix by Ali Clarke, whose ratings have shown little signs of improvement during the year. The Ali Clarke Breakfast Show finished in sixth place overall in the latest ratings survey – one spot behind SAFM.

Since Costello’s axing, there’s been strong speculation that the South Aussie with Cosi TV presenter is being considered to join Clarke at Mix in 2023. The station has denied any plans to change the breakfast program in 2023, with offsiders Eddie Bannon and Shane Lowe set to continue alongside Clark in 2023.