Radio veteran Brigitte Duclos will spearhead Afternoons on 774 ABC Melbourne in 2025 while Charlie Pickering will help us celebrate the end of the week with a new show on Fridays.
Brigitte promises to bring great interviews and engaging conversations to your afternoon, having had a successful radio career spanning three decades.
“Radio has been a 30-year passion of mine and I am so looking forward to getting back behind the microphone to deliver a show that informs, excites and, most of all, focuses on the topics important to Melbourne,” Brigitte said.
“The ABC listeners are the soul of this city and I look forward to them sharing their stories, struggles and triumphs.”
Current Afternoons presenter Trevor Chappell will return to his role as Overnights presenter in 2025.
Trevor said he had enjoyed presenting Afternoons but was looking forward to reconnecting with his Overnights audience.
“Trev is one of the nicest men in radio and it’s been a pleasure to have him around during the day,” Acting Local Manager Shelley Hadfield said. “His national Overnights audience will be delighted to welcome him back into their nights. We are grateful to Michael Pavlich for being such good company to them during the past 18 months.”
To wrap up the week and celebrate the start of the weekend, Charlie Pickering returns to 774 to host a new show on Fridays from 5-6pm. Thank God It’s Friday (TGIF) will follow Ali Moore’s Drive program, bringing together comedy, music and the week’s news in front of a live audience from our Southbank studios.
In other news, station favourites Jacinta Parsons and Brian Nankervis will get your weekend off to a great start, taking over Saturday morning programs.
Brian will present Saturday Breakfast, with Alice Zaslavsky making the decision to step away from the show next year so she can spend weekends with her daughter.
And, Jacinta will take over Saturday Mornings. Current presenter Matt Preston has announced he will step away from show next month after three years.
“I’ve loved doing what is one of the best jobs in radio, so it has been a tough decision,” Matt said. “I’m so grateful to the people I’ve worked with on the show and the top-level co-hosts that have taught me so much.
“I’ve been lucky enough to interview so many of my heroes both old and new over the journey. And it has been priceless spending time with such an intelligent, passionate and often very funny audience.”
Saturday’s Cat and Matt show, with Matt and Catherine Murphy, will wind up. Catherine will still appear on programs across the station.
Alice Zaslavsky said helping Melbourne wake up every Saturday had been a privilege.
“Though I’ll be stepping away from the show, I won’t be leaving the 774 family,” Alice said. “You can look forward to hearing my voice as ABC’s food guru, as well as the odd cameo back behind the mic.
“Thank you to the Saturday Breakfast regulars – both our guests and our listeners, who have enriched our weekends with worthwhile tidbits. It’s these voices and views that make a show like ours vibrate with vitality.”
Jacinta and Brian will continue presenting The Friday Revue.
Last week, Sammy J revealed he will finish up as Breakfast host next month, with award-winning journalist Sharnelle Vella and Western Bulldogs’ great Bob Murphy set to wake up Melburnians in 2025 with a mix of news, sport, weather and fun.
774 ABC Melbourne is excited by the new line up, which also includes Raf Epstein on Mornings (8.30am-11am), Richelle Hunt on The Conversation Hour (11am-noon), Ali Moore on Drive (3pm-6pm), David Astle on Evenings (6.45pm-10pm) and Lisa Leong on Sundays (10am-noon).
Acting Local Manager Shelley Hadfield said it was hard to say goodbye to much loved presenters and colleagues and she had no doubt they would continue to be regulars on the station.
“We are excited to shake things up with this new line-up and we are confident that it will hold us in good stead to make sure that we remain the voice of Melbourne,” Shelley said.
Brigitte will start presenting Afternoons over the summer break.