Ben Fordham takes first 2GB breakfast show since Alan Jones retirement
2GB has officially begun life after Alan Jones as Ben Fordham took over the breakfast airwaves on Monday and immediately sought to smooth over tensions at the Sydney radio station with a surprise guest.
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One of the biggest changes 2GB listeners will have noticed on the new look Ben Fordham breakfast show on Monday was the appearance of mornings host Ray Hadley.
“Ray came on for a chat,” Fordham, 43, said afterwards. “I would be mad not to incorporate Ray into the show, he is a big star.”
Hadley and Fordham’s predecessor Alan Jones had a love-hate relationship that had seen them not speaking for months before Jones finally turned off the microphone last Friday.
“Alan sent me a lovely text message on Sunday night saying ‘now it’s your turn, get in there and give it your all. You are going to be great’,” said Fordham.
Despite the reassurances from 79-year-old Jones, who retired after winning the ratings a record 226 times, Fordham had “a very restless night” before getting up at 2.30am.
“I went to bed at 9pm and took a sleeping pill but it didn’t work,” he said. “I feel good now we have got the first show out of the way.”
The biggest change for Fordham is to his lifestyle. Instead of spending the mornings with children Freddy, five, Pearl, three and Marigold, eight months, he yesterday got to hang out with them after school.
And that meant he is on hand to help journalist wife Jodie Speers with the witching hour before dinner and bath time before bed.
He pulled out some heavy hitting guests for the first day including Prime Minister Scott Morrison, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Australian Rugby League chairman Peter V’landys.
“I have told the PM and Premier ‘don’t wait for me to ring, if you want to argue a point get on the phone or come into the studio,” he said.
Fordham has also invited V’landys to appear every Thursday on the show. “He is supposed to be the master negotiator but he didn’t even ask for a fee – I have got him for nothing,” he laughed.
Opening his show at 5.30am, Fordham promised not to carry on “screaming like I normally do” after taking over the coveted 2GB breakfast timeslot this morning.
“Well well well, good morning, thank you very much for tuning in” he said as the show opened for the first time.
“I’m not going to go screaming like I normally do in the afternoon because it is early morning and some people are waking up.”
“Good morning, get up, get out of bed, we are underway.”
Before introducing listeners to a powerful trifecta of guests, the 43-year-old broadcaster welcomed loyal Jones’ listeners as well as some loyal Fordham fans who had tuned in especially for him.
“Welcome to the early hours Ben,” Max said.
Spiro from Summer Hill said: “Good morning Ben, welcome, it is great to hear you on the radio waves this morning taking Alan’s shift.”
“I am a Year 12 student at Trinity Grammar School in Summer Hill. I set my alarm very early, I went to bed a bit earlier, just to get up to listen to your show, I am a big fan of your show.”