Making radio waves: What made Triple M’s Loz the top rating woman on air

Laura O’Callaghan may not be a household name just yet, but everyone wants to know who she is now Triple M has Adelaide’s No. 1 brekky show.

Getting the chemistry right is making self-confessed uni dropout Laura “Loz” O’Callaghan the top-rating woman on brekky radio in Adelaide.

The 32-year-old is queen of the local airwaves, with Triple M’s Roo, Ditts & Loz sitting at No. 1 in the all-important breakfast timeslot.

Heard on the FM band, O’Callaghan and her co-hosts, Mark Ricciuto and Chris Dittmar, won the latest radio ratings.

In what was the second survey for 2023, the trio recorded 14.2 share points, ahead of FIVEaa’s David Penberthy and Will Goodings, who finished with 13.6.

Laura O'Callaghan from Triple M, with Mark Ricciuto and Chris Dittmar. Picture: Triple M

It was a surprise victory because AM stations FIVEaa and ABC Adelaide have traditionally taken turns at being No. 1 and runner-up.

That all changed in the first survey of 2023 when Roo, Ditts & Loz came second to FIVEaa’s Penberthy and Goodings.

Industry insiders say O’Callaghan is the reason Triple M’s ratings have soared.

At the end of 2022 – prior to her joining the weekday breakfast line-up full-time – Triple M’s “blokey brekky show” finished in third place, with 11.2, behind FIVEaa’s 16.5 and the ABC’s 13.6.

Triple M’s Laura “Loz” O'Callaghan. Picture: Triple M

In what could be seen as a classic ‘underdog takes the lead’ tale, O’Callaghan admits to falling into radio.

“If I had a penny for every time I changed my mind about my career I’d be loaded and ironically wouldn’t have to work another day,” O’Callaghan told The Advertiser.

“I was pretty flaky and directionless in my twenties and if I hadn’t impulsively enrolled in a media degree at Adelaide Uni, I hate to think where I’d have ended up.

“But luckily I did, because the second I jumped on air for a student radio program it was like getting struck by lightning. In a good way. I never actually finished that degree but that hasn’t come up with the boss yet.”

Triple M’s Laura O'Callaghan, Mark Ricciuto and Chris Dittmar. Picture: Triple M

O’Callaghan began volunteering in radio in 2016 at Fresh 927, where she ended up co-hosting breakfast with Mark “Thomo” Thomas. The Adelaide community station, which has a history of nurturing talents, is where Triple J and now Nova stars Ben Harvey and Liam Stapleton got their start.

“The great thing about working at Fresh is people in powerful positions are always tuning in,” O’Callaghan said.

“Matt O’Reilly, the content director at Triple M, had his ear on us, and after keeping us on the hook for a while he eventually offered Thomo and I a slot on weekend brekky.”

Triple M’s Chris Dittmar, Mark Ricciuto and Laura O’Callaghan. Picture: Triple M

O’Callaghan has since transformed the Roo & Ditts show to Roo, Ditts & Loz, and it is her dream job.

“Anyone would feel nervous jumping into such a well established and iconic line-up, but they embraced me in a way that actually makes me a quite emotional,” she said.

“I mean, they’re obviously incredibly talented presenters, but watching them navigate a sometimes fickle industry with such integrity and decency has been the most important lesson. “I know it’s not an interesting headline, but they really are genuinely good blokes.”

Despite being credited as the show’s secret to success, O’Callaghan said she hadn’t taught Ricciuto and Dittmar anything “other than some useless millennial slang and what it means ‘soft launch’ a new relationship on social media”.

“I honestly don’t think it’s about me as an individual, I think we just work really well as a trio,” she said.

“We all bring out the best in each other. If I could bottle that chemistry I’d sell it on the black market.”

Originally published as Making radio waves: What made Triple M’s Loz the top rating woman on air