Longtime ABC News Breakfast host Michael Rowland announces his departure

“Enough”: Longtime ABC News Breakfast host Michael Rowland announced he’s quit the show despite his bosses’ pleas for him to stay.

Longtime ABC News Breakfast host Michael Rowland announced his departure from the program on-air this morning.

Rowland, 56, made the announcement at around 7:45am during today’s program, revealing that his last day on-air will be December 13, despite his bosses at the ABC asking him to stay on into next year.

“I have some news to announce - and the teams here, they know this news already - I’m leaving News Breakfast at the end of next week. I’m sorry to the viewers out there for the short notice, but I’m not one for long and drawn out farewells.”

The presenter and news journalist started his career at the ABC in 1987, and was appointed co-host of News Breakfast in 2010.

Rowland told viewers today that he was looking forward to spending more time with wife Nicola Webber and his two adult children.

Michael Rowland breaks the news on-air this morning.

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“I am looking forward to a break and spending more time with my family. My beautiful children were 7 and 5 respectfully when I started the show and they’re now in their 20s,” he said.

“There has been an enormous amount of family sacrifice that has gone on to enable me to do the job for 15 years, so looking forward to spending time with them and my beautiful wife, Nicky, as well.”

The breakfast TV host revealed that the early hours of his job had been a factor in his decision to leave.

“I love working on News Breakfast. Every morning is a buzz and it’s by far the best job I’ve had at the ABC,” he said. “But after 15 years of 3am starts my body is screaming ‘enough!’... and so, too, is my wife. The hours have finally caught up with me.”

Rowland’s longtime co-host Lisa Millar exited the show in August after five years.

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Rowland will remain with the ABC and will return to the national broadcaster in mid-2025 to work on “exciting projects.”

Rowland’s news comes just months after his longtime former co-host, Lisa Millar, also quit the show.

Millar first presented News Breakfast in 2018, permanently joining Rowland the following year. Like Rowland, she quit the show but not the ABC, focusing on hosting roles on the primetime shows Back Roads and Muster Dogs.

Rowland said on-air today that he was leaving the job with a “heavy heart” and that the ABC had asked him to stay in the role until the next federal election. “That may not be until May... I’ve decided that now is the right time,” he said.