Nikki Osborne reveals the real reason she quit Nova breakfast radio gig

Nikki Osborne thought she had it all – a career, new house, a family. She was the master of her own destiny. Then came “the f**ckening”.

Brisbane comedian Nikki Osborne with Nova co-hosts Luttsy and Ash Bradnam shortly after she replaced Susie O’Neill on the top-rating breakfast radio show. Picture: Pete Wallis

They say you can “have it all” and at the end of 2024, I was on board with that theory.

I’d just had a killer year in my career, I’d secured a house in my dream location and my online ambition to become a comedic digital nomad was coming together nicely. I was present as a mother, attentive as a wife and I was the master of my own destiny.

However, as we all know, when things are going great you always have that foreboding feeling of “when will I have the f**kening”?

The f**kening is as it sounds, a day when your perfect life all falls over. Although everything was going great, and I had massive plans to take my character “Bush Barbie” to America to shoot a series, I still had that niggling insecurity of “Nikki, you are deluded, don’t risk everything, you could lose your home”.

Nikki Osborne as Bush Barbie. Picture: Supplied

Then out of the blue, the phone rang.

The programming director at Nova had asked my manager if I would join the Nova breakfast team in 2025. Well hello fork in the road.

I remember the first words that came out of my mouth were “oh, Nova, wow, but ummm, I need sleep, I might die”.

The next day, when I had dinner with my family, I told them about the offer.

Nova’s Ash, Luttsy and Nikki Osborne in October. Picture: Nigel Hallett

While I was incredibly nervous about the hours, travel and sidelining my goals, I was equally excited about finally having a work family, financial security and a large publicity machine behind me. Plus with two only pay slips I could borrow funds to renovate my little home!

Then I struck upon the idea of: hey, I’m a strong, fit woman, I can do both!

Fast forward to six weeks into breakfast radio.

I was getting up at 4am every morning and making to 1.20 commute into work in the dark. Then I’d do the show, commute home and pass out. Then my 2pm alarm would go off. I’d then set up my home studio and start shooting and editing my YouTube series.

I was loving radio, we won the ratings AND I was creating good content and I was awarded a YouTube silver play button. I had everything I wanted. I had it all. Sure I’d fall asleep before my kids and often ask what day it was but work was going great guns.

Then came “the f**kening”.

What started as a persistent pain in my gum was then diagnosed as a tumour in my mouth. My body was clearly in protest at my “talking” so much and the constant “jet lag” and found the best way it could to stop me. And it worked.

After surgery, my specialist sat me down and said: something’s gotta give. I was devastated. The next morning I showed up to work and did the unthinkable: cried on air, gross, because I knew I was going to have to give something I love up.

So I gave away my kids. I’m kidding.

Do I give up the long held dream or the job that I love?

As women, we are on a shorter clock than our male counterparts. I looked at myself in the mirror and said: Nikki, you’re 36 (44), your character is called Bush Barbie, your boobs and face can only defy gravity for so long, it’s now or never. I also thought; how would I feel in ten years time interviewing some upstart who actually dared to chase my dream? Do I want to be the interviewer or the interviewee?

Nikki Osborne. Picture: Peter Wallis

I then hopped on a plane to Sydney and did the dumbest, most delusional thing and told the Nova boss that I had to leave Nova Breakfast because the hours are too prohibitive on my #dreams.

He was super understanding and kind but then as I boarded the plane home, my stomach dropped and I sank into my chair, and assumed the face-palm position as I realised the idiotic gravity of what I’d just done.

Bye house. Bye renovation. Bye work family. Bye support. Bye company that actually believes in me. I’d jumped off the cliff with no parachute!

For the weeks that followed I was on a steady diet of Mel Robbins and Andy Vee inspo videos trying to justify my lunacy.

Two weeks later I got a call from a producer. He’d seen my YouTube videos and asked if he could shoot a series in the US with me. I replied: “Does Dolly Parton sleep on her back”?! As excited as I was about this awesome opportunity I was still silently grieving the job I was giving up and the people I’d grown fond of.

Then the unthinkable happened.

Behind the scenes, the Nova bosses had carved out a completely new role for me.

This would allow me to chase my delusions overseas, whilst staying on air nationally, build my own video podcast, assist Nova with online content creation but most importantly, stay in the family.

They broke with convention and created a role specifically for me. I know right?!

Who the f**k are these dudes who help a female employee chase her dream?! What year is this?! 2055?!

So in answer to my question, can you have it all?

I’ll let you know this time next year but I’m starting to think that maybe, just maybe, (with several butt clenching moments of risk) you can.

Do you think you can have it all?

Originally published as Nikki Osborne reveals the real reason she quit Nova breakfast radio gig