3AW broadcaster Neil Mitchell hits back at claims he’s moving on from hosting his morning show, says ‘nobody has sacked me’

The Melbourne broadcaster has responded to numerous media reports claiming his time is up at 3AW and said he could stay in the job until he’s ‘100 or 120’.

3AW broadcaster Neil Mitchell.

Melbourne radio broadcaster Neil Mitchell has hit back at numerous media reports claiming he could be replaced as 3AW’s mornings host and said management told him he can stay in the job until he reaches “100 or 120”.

During his show on Monday, Mitchell addressed the ongoing speculation that his hosting duties at the Nine Entertainment-owned station could be ending.

“I don’t know everything that is going on, nor should I, I do know there will be changes ahead at 3AW but they are not finalised,” he told his listeners.

“Some of what was reported was right, much of it was wrong, I can assure you nobody has sacked me, nobody is trying to drive me out, quite the opposite in fact.

“Management has made it clear I can stay in the job until I reach 100 or 120 which is very tempting.”

Tom Elliott has been rumoured to be the replacement for Mitchell into the coveted morning slot.

In recent days there have been numerous reports that the 71-year-old could be moving on from his mornings slot and be replaced by drive presenter Tom Elliott.

The recent reports including in Nine’s Age newspaper said, “Mitchell has refused to buy into speculation that 3AW drive host Tom Elliott will take over the morning slot … at the end of the year”.

This year Mitchell began a 3AW podcast series called, “Neil Mitchell asks why” and he has had numerous high-profile guests including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton, former Victorian opposition leader Matthew Guy and ABC 7.30 host turned pro-voice advocate Kerry O’Brien.

Nine Entertainment also owns radio stations across the country including 3AW, Sydney’s 2GB, Brisbane’s 4BC and Perth’s 6PR.

Mitchell began working at 3AW in 1987 and he has hosted the mornings program since 1990 and dominates the timeslot.

He said when his time is up his listeners will be the first to know.

“I promise this, as soon as I am able to tell you what is happening, as soon as it is all sorted I will share it with you first, not the Herald Sun, not The Age, not anybody else,” Mitchell said.

“I have always felt very strongly that you own 3AW, you the audience are the most important part of this station, not me or Ross (Stevenson) or Tom (Elliott) or anybody else who wanders past a microphone for a few years, you matter the most.

“That is why when possible you should be the first to know and you will be the first to know.”

In the latest GfK radio ratings survey Mitchell had an audience share of 17.1 percentage points and is well ahead of the next closest program – Gold 104.3’s show led by Craig Huggins who had a share of 11.9 percentage points.

If Elliott does move into the mornings slot, it leaves his drive slot open.

In June 3AW sacked popular Melbourne afternoons host Dee Dee Dunleavy after management decided not to renew her contract at the end of the year.

She said at the time she was “devastated” by the decision and left the station immediately.

Since then 3AW has had a rotating roster of fill-in hosts for the afternoons slot including Jacqueline Felgate, Heidi Murphy, Elise Elliott, Tony Moclair and Jimmy Bartel.

A permanent host has yet to be announced but Felgate, who has been doing food reviews and football commentary at the station and filling in across various shows, has been speculated as the most likely to take over the slot.