Nova Late Drive hosts Ben, Liam and Belle back in Adelaide – with Molly Rose as executive producer

A trio of Adelaide radio stars have officially moved back home as they welcome a new member to the team – who will be familiar to many after an embarrassing faux pas.

Nova radio stars Ben Harvey, Liam Stapleton and Belle Jackson have officially returned home after two years in Melbourne – and they’ve added a new member to the team.

The popular trio made the full-time move back to Adelaide earlier this month and will continue hosting the station’s national Late Drive show from Nova’s Hindmarsh Square studios.

They’ve also announced a new executive producer in Molly Rose, who hit the headlines this year after she mistook Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a prankster when he called into Jodie and Hayesy’s breakfast show.

Rose assumed Albanese was a Fringe impersonator and politely put him on hold for five minutes – a fumble she will always remember.

Thrilled to be home, Stapleton told The Advertiser that he and Harvey are “Adelaide guys through and through”.

“We’ve moved around a bit in radio, after three years in Sydney and three in Melbourne,” he said.

“We can comfortably say, there’s no where we’d rather be. These days our show is national so we can broadcast from anywhere. Nova have also built brand spankin’ new studios in SA so it just made sense.”

Nova's national drive trio Ben, Liam and Belle. Picture: Supplied.

Nova 919 producer Molly Rose and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Picture: Supplied

Harvey, Stapleton and Jackson have hosted the national 6-8pm weekday shift since March 2024.

Originally an on-air duo, Harvey and Stapleton added longtime producer Belle Jackson as they moved to Melbourne at the start of 2023, replacing outgoing trio Chrissie Swan, Jonathan Brown and Sam Pang in the high-profile shift.

Just over a year later, they were moved to the late drive timeslot, with Lauren Phillips and Jason Hawkins taking over Melbourne breakfast.

Harvey and Stapleton headed back to where it all began last week – Fresh 92.7 – to crown the station’s latest Generation Fresh winner.

The duo were celebrity judges for the competition, which will give one aspiring radio host the chance to host their own weekend show on Fresh.

Nova's Ben Harvey and Liam Stapleton with Sean Craig Murphy. Picture: Supplied.

Chelsea Barber, middle, with Nova's Ben Harvey and Liam Stapleton, top. Picture: Supplied.

“Without Fresh 92.7 we may not have ever met and we definitely wouldn’t have had the opportunity to hone our craft…. By craft I mean rolling out generic phoners, recording out of key parody songs and playing fart SFX on the FM airways. Practice makes perfect,” said Stapleton, who was a teenager when he got his start at the community station.

On Monday morning, relief teacher, podcaster and small business owner Chelsea Barber, 23, was announced as this year’s winner.

“It’s been such an incredible experience to have been a part of, and I’m so thankful for this opportunity with Fresh – I’m looking forward to seeing where it takes me,” she said.

Originally published as Nova Late Drive hosts Ben, Liam and Belle back in Adelaide – with Molly Rose as executive producer