ABC reveals James Glenday will replace outgoing News Breakfast TV host Michael Rowland

Michael Rowland’s replacement on ABC News Breakfast has been named one week after the veteran host vacated the seat after nearly 15 years.

Michael Rowland’s replacement on ABC News Breakfast has been named one week after the veteran host vacated the seat after nearly 15 years.

The ABC announced on Monday that James Glenday will join Bridget Brennan on the program in 2025.

Glenday, who will exit his current position as ABC’s 7pm newsreader in Canberra in the coming weeks, is no stranger to the hot seat, often appearing on the breakfast program as fill-in host.

“The chance to join News Breakfast and take over from Michael Rowland, a beloved colossus of Australian broadcasting, is an offer I couldn’t refuse,” Glenday said in a statement this morning.

James Glenday will join Bridget Brennan as co-host on ABC News Breakfast.

“It will be a beautiful thing to present the show with Bridget, a long-time friend and fellow millennial. We’re quite different people, but for some inexplicable reason she tolerates my terrible jokes, so we get along well.

“ABC News Breakfast is the natural place for the biggest names in Australia to come to share their news and stories. I can’t wait to begin work with the very talented team.”

The national broadcaster also revealed that Catherine Murphy will become the program’s full-time sports presenter, replacing Tony Armstrong who departed the role in October.

Glenday reveals he and Brennan started working together at the ABC in 2010.

Glenday and Murphy will join News Breakfast regulars Nate Byrne, Charles Brice and Emma Rebellato with the new line-up airing from January 20.

Rowland’s last day on the program will be Friday 13 December.

When announcing his departure last week, the veteran host said that while working on the program has been “the best job (he’s) had at the ABC”, he has had “enough”.

“After 15 years of 3am starts my body is screaming ‘enough!’” Rowland wrote in a post to Instagram. “The hours have finally caught up with me.”

He said the decision didn’t come lightly, describing the job as an “immense privilege”.

“It has been a buzz getting to interview everyone from Prime Ministers to Hollywood superstars (sorry, PM, I’ll take Matt Damon any day),” he wrote.

Michael Rowland will depart ABC News Breakfast on December 13.

“And on what other show could I switch from presenting hard news to diving into a chilli-eating competition, playing in a Ukulele band, and dancing the nutbush (badly)?”

Rowland revealed he’ll be taking a “long break” but will remain with the ABC.

Glenday will join the team with a wealth of experience, having worked as both a Europe and US Correspondent for the ABC since joining the network as a cadet in Darwin in 2010.

For the past two years, he has presented the nightly 7PM news for the network in Canberra. Prior to that, he was the National Affairs Editor at Parliament House and spent a total of six years in the Press Gallery.

Originally published as ABC reveals James Glenday will replace outgoing News Breakfast TV host Michael Rowland