The favourites to replace Marty Sheargold on his Triple M Melbourne breakfast show have been revealed.
The 53-year-old host confirmed earlier this week that he will not be returning to morning radio, but will continue his podcast and national 3 p.m. broadcast with the network.
He said he wanted to spend more time with his family and prioritise “self-care” after a mysterious three-month absence last year due to an alleged incident during the AFL Grand Final.
Now the frontrunners have been revealed to follow in Sheargold’s footsteps, with Mick Molloy’s Triple M show predicted to air instead.
“I think there is a chance that Mick Molloy will be broadcast in both Melbourne and Sydney,” said Craig Bruce, a former radio executive who hosts the podcast Game Changers Radio: Melbourne Radio Wars. told news.com.au.
Comedian Molloy currently hosts Triple M’s Sydney breakfast show with NRL’s Mark Geyer. It wouldn’t be the first show to mark a radio expansion into Melbourne.
KIIS FM’s Kyle And Jackie O Show came to Melbourne audiences earlier this year in a $200 million deal that secured their position for the next 10 years.
Radio pundit Bruce also theorised that Dave Hughes, who hosts the 2Day FM morning show in Sydney, could return to the airwaves in Melbourne to fill the role.
The favourites to replace Marty Sheargold on his Triple M Melbourne breakfast show have been revealed after the presenter confirmed earlier this week that he would be stepping down
He previously co-hosted the programme Hughesy & Kate, before Kate Langbroek left the programme in 2019 to spend more time with her family. Hughes then went on to present Hughes, Ed and Erin.
The gap in the market emerged after Triple M confirmed on Thursday that radio presenter Sheargold would not be returning to his morning radio show.
“Taking an extended break at the end of last year has made it even more important to spend more time with my family,” Sheargold said in a statement.
‘As a result, I have decided to prioritise self-care, maintain a better work-life balance and will not be returning to my Triple M Breakfast show. I will, however, continue with The Marty Sheargold Show podcast, along with the national Triple M show from 3pm to 4pm.’
He continued: ‘I would like to thank my immediate team and the network for their continued support and understanding. And I would also like to thank the listeners for their loyalty to both the show and the station. Like them, I remain a Triple M fan.’
Dave Cameron, Chief Content Officer at SCA, said: “SCA supports Marty’s decision to rebalance his personal and business commitments, and we would like to thank Marty and his team for creating a unique and hilarious Breakfast show for Melbourne since 2021.
There is speculation that comedian Mick Molloy’s Triple M show could air instead. He currently presents Triple M’s Sydney breakfast show with NRL’s Mark Geyer
‘However, it is exciting that our listeners will continue to hear Marty, along with his current team of Troy Ellis, Loren Barry and Will Ralston, both across the Triple M network as a national afternoon radio show and via his favourite daily podcast on LiSTNR, which is regularly featured prominently in the Australian Podcast Ranker.’
The move follows his mysterious three-month absence last year following an alleged incident during the AFL Grand Final.
The former breakfast host took ‘personal leave’ after the alleged incident during the AFL Grand Final last yearwhich forced him to leave the field at half-time.
He was reportedly thrown out by MCG security for making offensive comments to other guests.
When asked for comment, a spokesperson for Southern Cross Austereo told Ny Breaking Australia at the time: “Marty Sheargold left the AFL Grand Final at half-time of his own accord.”
Sheargold was still on the show the week after the final, but disappeared from the screen a few days later. Anthony ‘Lehmo’ Lehmann took his place.
The troubled Melbourne radio presenter said he had taken an “extended break” because he was “burned out”.
A former radio executive also predicted that Dave Hughes, who hosts the 2Day FM morning show in Sydney, could return to the airwaves in Melbourne to fill the position.
“I realized I was completely burned out the last few years,” he explained.
He also said he was inspired by AFL coaches Alistair Clarkson and Damien Hardwick, who both retired from their football teams last year.
“Last year, two guys raised their hands and said, ‘I need a break.’ And I thought, ‘You know what, I need a break,’” Sheargold said.
“Things are changing. I’m not doing a routine this year,” he added, to which his producer Loren Barry replied, “You just do yourself.”
Marty then made a bizarre comment and said, “I’m going to do some h****ing too. That’s going to be fun, so stay for that. Watch the wheels fall off.”
After his return to the show, some listeners called his return to the radio “not funny” and “mean” because he was divisive among his fans.
In an April Reddit thread, several people weighed in on Sheargold’s television antics.
Sheargold has stepped down to spend more time with his family and prioritise ‘self-care’ after a mysterious three-month absence last year following an alleged incident during the AFL Grand Final
After his absence, some listeners called his return to the radio “not funny” and “gross” as his presentation style caused division among fans
“I feel like it’s gotten better lately, but judging by the responses, other people don’t seem to think so,” said someone else.
“Every joke is a bad joke. After a while you get tired of listening to it,” someone else noted.
“I think he used to be funny, but now he just seems to insult people without any real joke in it,” said another.
‘No idea how he got his own show, he’s a colored guy at best, not a host, carried by the rest of his crew. The guy reads the headlines ffs, guys on a mint buck, could put some effort into his segments,’ said another.
Others disagreed, however, with one chiming in: “It’s no different than normal. The ‘meanness’ is part of his trick.”