Neil Breen’s 4BC replacement named after shock on-air resignation

A month after Brisbane 4BC shock jock Neil Breen sensationally quit live on air a ‘trial’ replacement has been revealed.

Brisbane shock jock Neil Breen’s replacement has been revealed as veteran journalist and media personality Peter Gleeson.

Breen, 4BC’s afternoon host, sensationally quit live on air last month, telling listeners it was time to prioritise his family after “three very tough years”. He will leave the station on June 23.

4BC boss Max Dudley emailed staff on Monday to tell them that Gleeson would be stepping into the Brisbane Live hot seat from June 26.

On his “Brisbane Live” show on Thursday, Breen read out a staff email from Dudley announcing that “Gleeso” would be taking over the microphone as a “fill-in” ahead of a permanent drive host being announced later in the year.

4BC radio host Neil Breen is leaving his Brisbane Live show after “three tough years”. in the recording studio in Cannon Hill, Brisbane. pic Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

Gleeson, a former The Sunday Mail editor and Sky News presenter, left News Corp last November after more than 30 years with the company.

Breen said Gleeson - who he worked with at the now defunct Brisbane Daily Sun newspaper in the 1990s - was “a good mate of mine”.

“He’s a passionate journalist, he’s going to do a great job here on 4BC on Brisbane Live once I depart in a couple of weeks,” Breen told listeners.

“Gleeso, mate, I’ll ring you after the show … well done, brother.”

Peter Gleeson. Picture: Supplied.

Ratings for the Nine Network-owned 4BC took a substantial hit in the latest survey results announced this week as Breen prepared to leave the station.

The station had the biggest drop across the drive timeslot, with ratings sliding 1.9 points to 5.8 per cent, dwarfed by Nova’s 14.4 per cent market share and B105’s 13.2 per cent.

Breen, a former Sunday Telegraph editor-in-chief and Courier-Mail sports editor, had claimed to be “totally in the dark” about his successor at 4BC “and it’s exactly how I like it”.

“That is something I have totally stayed out of,” he said this week.

“I’ve told station management and Nine radio that I want nothing to do with it.”

Dudley told The Courier-Mail that he and his staff were “looking forward to working with Gleeso”.

“It’s wonderful, we’re happy to welcome him to Cannon Hill with open arms,” he said.

“From our point of view, he’s filling in in the chair and we’ll see how it goes, with a permanent announcement to come at the end of the year.”