Like a virgin: Mix 102.3’s Ali Clarke and Max Burford talk about losing it to music on first show for 2023

The Ali Clarke Breakfast Show has popped its cherry for the year, with the new line up telling cheeky tales of the first time each did the deed.

Ali Clarke’s given a shout out to her first lover on her first brekky radio show of the year.

The Ali Clarke Breakfast Show’s team – which also includes newbie Max Burford and Shane Lowe – were discussing losing one’s virginity.

The topic came up after they played an excerpt of Prince Harry’s audio book Spare in which he revealed his first time was with an older women in a field behind a pub.

“Hello to the bloke … he was absolutely lovely and we were in love and it was all wonderful and very respectful but I know it happened on a Tuesday night because this was playing in the background …,” said Clarke, just before the theme to cult TV drama series Melrose Place was heard, adding: “As I said to him, ‘You must be pretty special, I am here with you and not watching Melrose with Jake and all the gang.”

Asked to sum his experience in a song, Burford revealed he was about 16 or 17 when he lost his virginity.

“As yours was, (my) girlfriend at the time, love of my life – until she wasn’t – and, I mean, you could sum it up like this, I would have thought,” Burford told Clarke before the chorus of Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love you began to play.

MORE: Adelaide radio’s new brekky radio line-ups, reviewed

Mix 102.3’s new breakfast host Max Burford and his dog Morris. Picture: Russell Millard

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These antics started off the show – which ran from 6am to 9am – setting a let’s-not-take-ourselves-too-seriously tone.

Throughout the program, listeners were reminded “Max Burford – sports presenter of 10 News First” was now part of the team. And that he was.

A strong presence throughout, he also presented the sport segments during news bulletins.

This isn’t Burford’s first radio rodeo. Last year, he was heard on former-Mix brekky presenter Jodie Oddy’s Saturday morning show on Nova 919.

But it was Burford’s first time on Mix.

Hopes had been high for The Ali Clarke Breakfast Show to be a ratings winner when it launched last year – but it wasn’t a big hit, finishing 2022 in fifth spot despite a 0.7 rise to 9.0 share points.

While the first offering for 2023 – on Wednesday – could have used a warm and fuzzy moment, it was much improved with good chemistry between the presenters.

It sounds like Shane Lowe – who was holding the fort as the solo host at the start of the week when the station played music between 6am and 9am – will have a bigger on-air presence.

Lowe was very much part of the brekky banter.

Shane Lowe. Picture: Ian Currie

Ali Clarke and Eddie Bannon Picture: Simon Vaughan

But the same couldn’t be said for comedian Eddie Bannon, who was there at the start of the program but now has an “on-the-street” role.

On day one he was on a bus to Lockleys; but if Bannon had said he was in NSW outback town Lightning Ridge you would’ve believed him because the line was bad.

The show opened with Lorde’s Royals (in honour of Harry’s Spare) and Clarke certainly sounds like she has her sights set on being the queen of brekky radio – a title she held more than a few times when she was on ABC Adelaide.

She also has the backing of the likeable and relatable Burford, Lowe and – when we get to hear him – Bannon.

The “should I stay or should I go” segment is back, but there was also fresh content such as the “5K Word Play” competition and the launch of the station’s new secret sound comp, which has $50,000 up for grabs.

The new line-up and chance to win cash should attract listeners.

But after also listening to 107.1 SAFM’s Bec & Soda and Nova 919’s Jodie & Hayesy’s first shows for 2023, this reviewer is putting her money on those two to be Adelaide’s No. 1 and runner-up FM breakfast programs (in no particular order) in the year’s first radio ratings survey.

Read the SAFM and Nova reviews here.

Originally published as Like a virgin: Mix 102.3’s Ali Clarke and Max Burford talk about losing it to music on first show for 2023