‘Good luck and don’t f..k it up’: Inside Ray Hadley’s celebratory 150 ratings win lunch

The suits of radio and horse racing have celebrated Ray Hadley’s 150th consecutive radio ratings win with a boozy oyster lunch on George St. SEE THE PICTURES

Exclusive: Ben Fordham boils down his love-hate relationship with “unbeatable” mentor Ray Hadley to “good times and bad times”, but said “becoming a grandfather has mellowed him out quite a bit”.

“There’s been times when we wanted to kill each other, and times when we wanted to hug each other. And it’s been a lot more enjoyable hugging him,” Fordham said.

Speaking to Confidential at Luke Mangan’s Glass Brasserie restaurant on Thursday, the 2GB breakfast radio king said no one in Australia would be able to top Hadley’s 150th consecutive radio survey win.

Ben Fordham, Peter V’landys, Ray Hadley, Johnny Tapp, Peter Overton and Ken Sutcliffe at Glass Brasserie. Picture: Tim Pascoe

“I’ve won one in a row. He’s won 150, so I’ve worked out that if he loses the next one, I can beat his record by 2042,” Fordham joked.

“No one will ever do this again in Australian radio, it just won’t happen. It’s so competitive and moods and tastes change so quickly. That’s why it’s remarkable.”

Hadley and sports presenter Ken Sutcliffe.

Channel 9 newsreader Peter Overton.

Hadley, who has been No.1 since survey 4, 2004, was a taxi driver in a former life.

Fordham is also following in those footsteps, saying his Uber driving “side hustle” had proved fertile ground for finding news stories.

Peter Overton, John Singleton, Ken Sutcliffe, and Australian Rugby League chairman Peter V’landys were joined by Channel 9 executives for a swanky oyster lunch celebrating Hadley’s career milestone, which he hit in the fourth GfK ratings survey for 2023 in June.

The men appeared as if they’d gone on a shopping spree for the occasion — or compared outfits in a group chat — all donning navy suits and accessorising with a cheeky glass of lunchtime bubbles.

Hadley’s wife Sophie Baird supported him, but otherwise this was a meeting of the old-school boys club.

Ray Hadley says he never could have envisioned his career as it is today. Picture: Tim Pascoe

“It’s rolled into the next one, but the people who’ve come here today are very much part of my life. Peter gave me a job back in the 1980s,” Hadley said.

“I could never have envisioned where I am today doing this. Nineteen years is a long time.”

Sophie Baird and Hadley at Luke Mangan’s Glass Brasserie restaurant. Picture: Tim Pascoe

The 68-year-old added that his career highlights were pushing for the royal commission into child abuse “by individuals and institutions for the last 25 years”, and sentencing pedophiles under 2023 guidelines, not 1984 guidelines.

“It’s about entertainment, but also instituting change,” he said. “You’re a conduit from your listeners to the politicians.”

Ben Fordham and Sophie Baird.

Peter Overton speaking to former Australian racecaller Johnny Tapp.

When Fordham got the job in breakfast radio, his first call was to Hadley, who unwittingly quoted US drag queen RuPaul saying: “Good luck and don’t f..k it up.”

“The best advice Ray has given me is don’t change, because I’ve had a few challenges over time, particularly with radio ratings,” Fordham continued.

“When the ratings have gone down, Ray has said to me do not change anything.”

In the most recent ratings, Fordham bounced back from a couple of losses to KIISFM rivals Kyle and Jackie ‘O’, earning an 18.1 per cent audience share for the all-important timeslot.