John Burns could retire from top-rating 3AW breakfast show next year
THEY’RE the kings of morning talk back radio, but what’s in store for 3AW Breakfast’s Ross and John next year? The station is looking at a succession plan for the duo, with one tipped to retire.
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RADIO king John Burns, once dubbed Sir Lunchalot, has lotsa luck on his side.
He once won Tattslotto. But are his nine lives running out?
3AW is looking at a succession plan for their enormously successful breakfast radio show, Ross and John.
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The talk titans are out of contract at the end of this year, with Stevenson expected to stay on and Burns to slide gracefully into retirement.
The lucky lawyer was a regular guest as Sir Lunchalot with solicitor Ross “Stevenson” Campbell and barrister Dennis “Donoghue” Connell on their cult radio show, Lawyers, Guns and Money.
The monikers Stevenson and Donoghue were taken from the famous Coca-Cola “snail in a bottle” case, Donoghue v Stevenson.
Burnso was a barrister known for settling before lunch at the fabulous Flower Drum, with top tipplers still considering him one of Melbourne’s luminary lunching companions.
He became Stevenson’s sidekick in 2001, helping to rack up more than 100 number one rating spots.
It takes a certain type of magic to create what Ross and John have, so who might replace Burns?
It’s a Melbourne Cup field. Some say comedian Glenn Robbins is already auditioning through his regular spot on the show.
Hamish McLachlan, who co-hosts That’s Racing with Stevenson, is also a potential replacement next year.
Others are Stevenson’s Hawks buddy Anthony “Lehmo” Lehmann, Nova’s Sam Pang, Rob Sitch and 3AW producer and Ross’s A Moveable Feast co-host Kate Stevenson.
Burns has had trials and tribulations, apologising for allegedly calling Richmond footballer Bachar Houli a “terrorist” in a conversation overheard at the MCG.
Sir Lunchalot can’t recall whether he said it or not.
Drinks were also involved after Burns lost his driver’s licence last October after returning a blood alcohol reading of .061.
But 3AW needs be careful in any contract negotiations.
Letting Burnso slip through their fingers in favour of a life of long lunches, hang on he does that already, might come back to bite them. That number one magic is hard to replace.
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