Speculation mounts on plans for Nova’s Ben Harvey and Liam Stapleton to host national show

Speculation is mounting that Nova’s ratings-winning breakfast team Ben and Liam could be making a triumphant return to national airwaves.

Could it be that Nova’s Ben Harvey and Liam Stapleton are making a triumphant return to the national airwaves as hosts of the network’s drive show?

Rumour has it they will replace current presenters Kate Ritchie, Tim Blackwell and Joel Creasey.

Ritchie on Thursday announced she is taking off the rest of 2022 and will be back in the New Year.

But – adding to the speculation – Harvey and Stapleton are both rumoured to have listed their Adelaide homes for sale.

They have proved themselves here, having had Adelaide’s No.1 rating breakfast program on the FM dial for the past two surveys.

Joel Creasey, Kate Ritchie and Tim Blackwell. Picture: Supplied

When they joined Adelaide’s Nova 91.9 in 2020 – Harvey aged 26 and Stapleton 23 – they were the youngest breakfast hosts on commercial radio across the five metropolitan cities.

The South Australian-born duo’s gig at Nova marked their return to Adelaide after becoming household names nationwide thanks to a stint on Triple J as its breakfast hosts.

Ben Harvey and Liam Stapleton. Picture: Morgan Sette

Enduring abuse and death threats during their time working for the national broadcaster, they were welcomed by Nova’s local listeners.

“When you’re Adelaide boys coming home it’s endearing to the audience,” Harvey said at the time, Stapleton adding: “It’s been the smoothest possible transition. We’ve been doing better shows here in the last few weeks than we ever have … it’s super comfortable.”

Former students of Sean Craig Murphy, who owns the Australian Radio School, Harvey and Stapleton both got their start at community station Fresh 92.7.

Ben Harvey, Liam Stapleton and Jodie Oddy. Picture: Keryn Stevens

It has also been suggested that Jodie Oddy – who hosts a Saturday morning show on Nova 919 – will be one of the names to take over the breakfast weekday timeslot.

Contacted by The Advertiser, Oddy – who, with Mark Soderstrom, was a top-rating brekkie host at Mix 102.3 – declined to comment other than to say she enjoyed working alongside Harvey and Stapleton.

Oddy also said she loved the people and culture at Nova and Network 10’s Adelaide newsroom, where she also works as a journalist.

A Nova spokeswoman said she was unable to comment on the speculation.