Australian actor and presenter Kate Ritchie has confirmed she is taking a break from hosting her Nova Sydney breakfast radio show amid “mental health issues” which she said were exacerbated by “relentless stalking” of paparazzi in the past week.
In a statement posted to Instagram, Ritchie, who hosts Nova’s breakfast radio program with Ryan “Fitzy” Fitzgerald and Michael “Wippa” Wipfli and is due to star in a new ABC series on parenting, said recent mental health struggles had “proven to be a bigger challenge” than imagined.
Nova radio presenter Kate Ritchie.
“I have decided to take a break from the show and the team who I love to focus on my health,” Ritchie said. “I want to thank all of those who are helping me through this very difficult time. I love you. Thank you, Nova, for being there when I need you.”
Ritchie didn’t offer further details on the “deeply personal” challenges she was facing or share a potential timeline for her return to radio.
The announcement follows several days of absence from the show, prompting media speculation of a potential departure from Nova after the Daily Mail published photographs late last week showing Ritchie looking distressed while sitting in a Sydney park.
Ritchie’s agent, Mark Morrissey, and her manager, Erin Keneally, were then spotted leaving Ritchie’s home on Friday afternoon as rumours of an exit from Nova swirled.
Ritchie addressed the photographs in her statement on Monday, noting the images showed she “wasn’t OK on that day”.
“My struggle is not helped by the relentless stalking of me by the paparazzi – in fact they are making it much worse,” Ritchie wrote. “Due to their constant harassment, they significantly add pressure and make my recovery that much more difficult.
“To those profiting from invading my privacy, a simple question – would you treat, say, your sister, mother or daughter the same if they had similar challenges?”
NOVA Entertainment said in a statement: “Kate has our full support as she prioritises her health during this time. Chrissie Swan will continue to join Fitzy and Wippa on Nova’s Sydney breakfast show while Kate takes a break.”
The ABC describes the new parenting series starring Ritchie and comedian Nazeem Hussain as a “genre-bending new five-part factual doco”. Titled The Role Of A Lifetime, it is due to premiere on February 18.
Hosted by presenter Amanda Keller, the show features parenting challenges, using scripted comedy sketches featuring a sitcom family. Hussain and Ritchie then explore the challenges in the real world with a range of experts.
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