Triple M Gold Coast: Bridge and Spida celebrate a decade on airwaves together

A decade ago Peter “Spida” Everitt walked into the then GoldFM studios at Southport with no idea what he was getting himself into.

Spida Everitt and Bridget Daley are celebrating 10 years on air together. Picture: Jerad Williams

A DECADE ago Peter “Spida” Everitt walked into the then GoldFM studios at Southport with no idea what he was getting himself into.

The former AFL player, who retired from footy in 2008, was confronted with red-haired and boisterous Bridget Daley and veteran radio star Richard Fowler.

He had signed to Southern Cross Austereo, swapping gruelling training camps to be up before dawn and live on breakfast airwaves Monday to Friday.

Asked this week how they would be celebrating their decade-long professional partnership on air while coronavirus restrictions limit their options for partying, Spida said: “We can’t do anything at the moment. I think we will do something later on in the year.”

Spida admits he “walked in with no radio experience at all” but thankfully Bridge took him under her wing.

92.5 Triple M Gold Coast Bridget Daley and Spida Everitt hosts. Picture: Jerad Williams

Now the pair have been sharing the airwaves for a decade and have formed a strong friendship.

“He didn’t have any (radio) experience and I didn’t really know him,” Bridge told the Bulletin.

“I pieced it together and thought ‘I get it, this is a boy who has only ever done footy and worked with blokes’.

“Really early on I said ‘OK, I know what we have to do – you need to treat me like a sister and everything will work out fine’.”

Bridge said Spida was quick to take on the role of a big brother in a “big way”, adding even her father now saw him as a son.

“When I was single (Spida) used to come over with a head torch at 3.30am in the morning and fix my fence so the dogs wouldn’t get out when I was at work,” she said.

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Spida and Bridge in 2013. Supplied by Andrew Meadowcroft.

“That also means, as my big brother, he’s always happy to stir me up – all the time.

“Over the past 10 years, we (got to) know absolutely everything about each other because we’ve shared every story.

“It’s funny when we’re in public, it’s like we’re married. We can finish each other’s sentences.”

Up until 2016, the GoldFM breakfast show was called “Richard, Bridge and Spida” but changed after Richard Fowler left to return to his native New Zealand before returning to join community station 94.1 FM.

Adrian “AJ” Johnston joined the breakfast crew but left in late December 2018 after 22 years with the radio station. AJ joined 94.1FM and also unsuccessfully contested Division 10 in the council election.

Spida and Bridge during the celebration of rebranding from GoldFM to Triple M. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

Former Brisbane radio announcer Ben Wood joined the crew in February 2019 but the show was still named just “Bridge and Spida”.

Seven months ago the station underwent an even bigger change – rebranding from GoldFM to Triple M Gold Coast.

“It’s a good milestone. It’s a funny little industry. You can last one (year) or you can last 10,” Spida said.

“Even though we’ve had a couple of different anchors and bosses throughout the time, I think Bridge is really easy to work with.

“Thanks (Bridge) for not only being an on-air wife but a good friend as well.”

Bridge had a message for Spida, saying: “Thanks for being the big brother I’ve never had. I always say you’re so lucky to work with me. (There are) so many chicks out there in radio that are such high maintenance.”