2Day FM breakfast show: Hosts make no reference to axing

It might have been Grant Denyer, Ed Kavalee and Ash London’s last day on breakfast radio after getting axed — but you wouldn’t have known it.

It might have been the trio’s last day broadcasting on 2Day FM’s breakfast slot, but the casual listener wouldn’t have known judging by this morning’s show.

It was announced yesterday that Friday would be Ed Kavalee, Ash London and Grant Denyer’s last day hosting 2Day FM’s breakfast slot, making them the station’s sixth breakfast show in six years to get the boot.

Despite this it was business as usual this morning, with Denyer, London and Kavalee making no reference to it being their last breakfast show throughout their three-hour broadcast.

The only hints that it wasn’t quite an ordinary broadcast was a joke from guest Rosie Waterland that they should drop a C-word as it was their last day and Denyer’s daughter Sailor reading the weather forecast alongside newsreader Amy Goggins.

After the show ended, a photo of the trio alongside 2Day FM radio DJ Mike Christian was posted on Instagram, thanking listeners.

The sacked announcers will all remain part of the Hit Network, with London continuing to host Ash London Live nationally from 6.30pm weeknights, Kavalee continuing to fill in for Kate Langbroek with Hughesy from 4.30pm and Denyer making appearances around the network.

From Monday the trio will be replaced in the mornings with three hours of music.

The Grant, Ed and Ash show is the sixth breakfast show in as many years that has been tried and turfed by 2Day FM due to poor ratings.

In the most recent round of radio ratings that were released in July, 2Day FM’s Grant, Ed and Ash breakfast show had just a 3.1 per cent audience share.

That’s a long way behind FM market leaders Kyle and Jackie O from KIIS FM (10.9 per cent), WSFM’s Jonesy and Amanda (8.5) and Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa (7.5).

It was announced yesterday the trio had been axed from breakfast.

The 2Day FM breakfast slot has been dubbed “the poisoned chalice” of radio since Kyle and Jackie O defected to KIIS FM at the end of 2013 and took the majority of their listeners with them.

Breakfast shows that have failed on 2Day FM since are:

2014: Merrick Watts, Jules Lund and Sophie Monk with Mel B

2015: Dan Debuf and Maz Compton

2016: Rove McManus and Sam Frost

2017: Em Rusciano and Harley Breen

2018: Em Rusciano, Ed Kavalee and Grant Denyer

2019: Grant Denyer, Ed Kavalee and Ash London

2Day FM’s Music for Breakfast, which will start on Monday, will be hosted by Jamie Angel, who was an announcer on 2 Day FM in the late ’90s/early 2000s.

Angel is a surprising choice given he’s been Triple M Sydney’s head of content for many years before accepting the offer to return to 2Day.

The decision to axe the Grant, Ed and Ash show was made “rather recently” according to the head of the Hit Network, Gemma Fordham.

“It was tough because it’s through no lack of hard work from the on-air team,” Fordham told news.com.au yesterday.

“But at the same time, we can’t have our heads in the sand and ignore the fact that the audience are telling us very loudly that they are only coming back to us because they love the music that we’re playing.”

After the announcement was made, Denyer took to Instagram and joked, “It’s nice to join an elite group of people who’ve been sacked from radio.

“Well that was bloody fun! Last ever show on 2Day FM tomorrow. I have really enjoyed it.

“Tried my hardest, did my best and over-shared more than I should have.

“Thanks 2Day FM, thanks to the incredible humans on our team and thanks to my wife Chezzi for allowing me to tell stories about her, like when her boob came out on the rollercoaster. Least I won’t have to come home to ‘that look’ anymore,” he wrote.