‘Time to do the more ridiculous things’: Matt Preston quits ABC Melbourne’s Saturday morning show

Former MasterChef host Matt Preston has announced he won’t be returning next year for ABC Melbourne’s Saturday morning show to instead pursue surprise new opportunities.

Matt Preston is quitting ABC radio. Picture: Supplied

Foodie, author, raconteur, presenter and bon vivant Matt Preston is quitting ABC radio.

The former MasterChef host will farewell ABC Melbourne’s Saturday morning show next Saturday, December 14.

He has hosted the popular and entertaining show for the past three years, but now plans to dive into unexpected opportunities like swimming from Albania to the Greek island of Corfu.

It has been a show filled with listening gems. Preston has a sublime radio voice and a curiosity that has seen a wide variety of interesting characters interviewed each week.

“I have had an amazing three years talking about so much more than food,” Preston said.

“Live (radio) is a totally new skill for me, so that has been a big challenge, but I have been able to talk to the most amazing array of people from a whole different selection of worlds, as well as have the immediate interaction with listeners both on the phone line or on the text line.

“I’ll really miss doing that hour of sport aka ‘The Cat and Matt Show’ with Catherine Murphy. We have been friends for over ten years. Not since MasterChef have so many people stopped me everywhere from supermarkets to golf courses, from pubs to football games, to discuss what has unfolded on the show that Saturday.”

Catherine Murphy, Alice Zaslavsky, Dr Vyom Sharma, Matt Preston and Lisa Leong. Picture: Supplied

He said he decided to close his chapter with ABC Melbourne to give himself more time to chase opportunities that sparked his curiosity.

“It is a big commitment and the woman I love would like her husband back for the weekends,” he said.

“(This decision) allows me to do a whole lot of stuff I have not been able to do. It is time to do the more ridiculous things that I now have the time to do.”

Cheesefest - Matt Preston Picture: Supplied

On his list for next year are attending the Jaipur Literature Festival in India and, thanks to the urging of a mate, possibly even swimming from Albania and Corfu.

Preston will be replaced on ABC Saturday mornings by Jacinta Parsons.

Alice Zaslavsky and Catherine Murphy are also finishing with the show.

The move by Preston to leave the ABC studio is part of a raft of changes sweeping through ABC radio Melbourne for 2025.

Popular radio identity Brigitte Duclos will host ABC afternoons in 2025 with current host Trevor Chappell returning to his previous gig as the station’s overnight presenter.

Sammy J (Samuel McMillan), who spent the past week gleefully trolling KIIS FM’s Kyle Sandilands in the name of charity, will finish up as breakfast host on December 13 with former Western Bulldogs player Bob Murphy and respected Channel 7 reporter Sharnelle Vella taking on the high-profile shift as of mid January.