Final sign-off: Laurel, Gary, and Mark say goodbye to 4BC Breakfast as Peter Fegan steps in

Brisbane radio hosts Laurel Edwards, Gary Clare, and Mark Hine have signed off from 4BC Breakfast, marking the end of a working relationship that spanned decades.

Mark Hine, Laurel Edwards and Gary Clare in 2022. Picture: Richard Walker

• 40 years of radio shocks

Brisbane radio veterans Laurel Edwards, Gary Clare, and Mark Hine have officially signed off from 4BC’s breakfast show after more than three decades on air, marking the end of their radio careers.

The emotional farewell came just two years after the trio moved to 4BC following the closure of music station 4KQ, where they had built their on-air legacy.

Mark Hine, Laurel Edwards and Gary Clare, the hosts of the 4BC breakfast program. Photo: Supplied

The trio’s departure follows the September 13 announcement that 4BC would be “taking on a new direction” after a steady decline in audience numbers, ultimately bringing their run to a close on September 27.

On their final day, dubbed “The Dawn of the Final Day” by Mark Hine — taking inspiration from The Legend of Zelda — the team selected songs to reflect their emotions and shared a series of heartfelt farewells from listeners on air.

Edwards acknowledged the bittersweet nature of the day, saying, “We’re going to get through it this morning with as little tears as possible, because we’ve got so many wonderful messages coming in. We’re going to share some of the good times we’ve had in the past.”

Ray Hadley praised the veteran radio team. File picture

Listeners flooded the station with farewell messages, and special guests phoned in to share their memories, including rugby league commentator Peter ‘Salty’ Psaltis, and 2GB host Ray Hadley, who praised the trio for handling their final shift with “class and dignity.”

“You leave behind a legacy that will never be matched,” Hadley told Edwards.

Laurel’s husband, ARIA-nominated country singer Troy Cassar-Daley, also called in to wish his wife well: “I hope everything’s going well this morning for the last shift … I cannot wait to go to lunch with you today, Laurel. I cannot wait.”

Emotions ran high as 4BC’s newsreader, Steve Barker, who also announced his departure from the station earlier this month, admitted the morning was filled with mixed feelings. “I came in this morning full of beans … and suddenly I’m tinged with sadness.”

Laurel Edwards and her husband Troy Cassar-Daley. Picture: Claudia Baxter

In a candid moment, Edwards addressed the inevitable shift in direction for 4BC.

“The direction 4BC is going in is not suited to us, which is fine. We’ll get to sleep-in in the future,” she said.

She also shared her love for her co-hosts, calling them her “working brothers”.

“I just want to say to you two boys, I’d like to say that you’re my working husbands, but because there’s no physical or sexual attraction, you’re my working brothers,” she said.

Through tears, she also thanked the trio’s supportive families, as well as the station’s listeners.

“Thank you to the listener — you’ve stuck with us through thick and thin, shared your stories with us,” she said.

“And our families, who I think all of us can say that we would not be here today if it wasn’t for their support, because it can be a very testing and trying job at times, especially when you’re away from them early in the morning.”

4BC breakfast host Laurel Edwards. Photo: Instagram.

As the radio hosts signed off just before 9am, Hine introduced the final song of the show: Green Day’s Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).

“We’ve picked this one out,” Edwards said, “and we just thought that this pretty much encapsulates how we’re feeling.”

4BC radio presenter Peter Fegan will take over the morning slot.

As Brisbane says farewell to the iconic trio, 4BC has already announced their replacement.

From September 30, Peter Fegan, 4BC’s current Weekend host, will step into the coveted breakfast slot.

Fegan’s appointment will see him solo-host the show until the end of the year, as the station looks to close out the 2024 Survey Period on December 13.

An internal email on September 19 confirmed the news: “From Monday, September 30, Peter Fegan will look after the Breakfast timeslot until the end of the year.”