Gossip Queen: Brave radio hosts to risk their health for ratings
A doctor will be on call and vitamin drips on standby as two Melbourne breakfast radio hosts risk their health in a bizarre bid to boost ratings.
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A doctor will be on call and vitamin drips on standby as Melbourne KIIS FM breakfast hosts Jase Hawkins and Polly ‘PJ’ Harding attempt a bizarre 56 hour live broadcasting marathon.
The pair will kick off their descent into sleep deprivation at 6am on Wednesday (June 5) and plan to host their show through until 2pm Friday.
“We have done it three times before (in New Zealand) for 51, 52 and 53 hours,” Hawkins said.
“I know this sounds ridiculous but we are pretty smart about the way we do it. We have full medical checks and from about the 20 hour mark we get checked every four hours with the doctor on call if we are feeling a bit off or if we start freaking out a little bit.
“We have been offered vitamin drips if we want them.
“Foodwise we eat really often, but small meals, and we don’t touch any energy drinks or lollies. We might start having coffee when there is maybe six hours to go.
“We can take the show mobile, so when the sun is up and we need some fresh air we can go to a cafe and do the show from there or go to a listener’s house for dinner. It is pretty random but as the 56 hours rolls on we will be careful not to do too much.”
The show’s production team will work in shifts while making use of a nearby Air B&B for naps, to support Hawkins and Harding.
The sleep-free marathon could be the wake-up call listeners need to check out Hawkins and Harding’s KIIS breakfast show.
The pair have struggled to get traction in Melbourne breakfast radio ratings races since they launched their show last year after enjoying success in the New Zealand market.
“We always knew it was going to be a long run and at the start of the year we were a bit gutted that they (ratings) weren’t kicking in,” Hawkins said.
“You start to doubt yourself a little bit.
“About three months ago PJ and I went away from the station and the team and had a chat and said, ‘Let’s just do what we have always done for four years and do it our way and have faith it will catch on’.
“We started doing that and I reckon the show is on fire at the moment.
“We are not dumb, we are the only people who are not known in this market. It is just a matter of getting ourselves known.”
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