Experienced journalist and broadcaster Chris Bath and presenter and comedian Charlie Pickering will be an integral part of the ABC Radio Sydney line-up in 2025.
Bath is set to take over as Drive presenter in the new year, while Charlie Pickering will present Thank God It’s Friday! it was announced at the ABC Upfronts presentation in Sydney today.
Bath was host of Evenings on ABC Radio Sydney from 2016 to 2019. She has periodically filled in for long-term Drive incumbent Richard Glover, who is departing the role after 26 years, and fittingly was introduced by him at the event.
Bath said she was feeling “excited, daunted, a little bit scared and nervous” about taking over as the Drive presenter.
“I’m still in a bit of disbelief. I always thought that Richard was going to be there forever.
“Every time I sit in that chair, I have a pretty healthy dose of imposter syndrome because I don’t know how anyone could be as good a broadcaster as Richard Glover.”
Bath has spent the majority of her career in television but is looking forward to being on radio full time.
“The thing I love about radio is something that I just don’t think you can create in television and that’s a sense of community that you can actually have live on air.”
Pickering said of his appointment as host of Thank God It’s Friday! “It’s an honour to be trusted with a beloved ABC Radio Sydney program and introduce it to the Melbourne audience on 774 and Australia wide on Radio National.
He reflected on Richard’s legacy “Richard was kind enough to have me as a guest on TGIF many times over the years and I have always been an enormous fan of his show. It is a testament to his stature as one of Australia’s leading broadcasters, that it took me years of secretly undermining him at the ABC to finally to get this job”.
ABC Radio Sydney acting Manager Pat Emmett said: “This is a real coup for ABC Radio Sydney and bolsters our already strong roster of presenters.
“Audiences will delight in the return of Chris Bath to Sydney airwaves with her warm and relaxed style resonating easily with listeners.
“Charlie Pickering is set to continue the incredible Thank God it’s Friday! legacy by rounding out the week with his trademark wit and enthusiasm to ease listeners in Sydney, Melbourne and on ABC Radio National into the weekend.”
About Chris Bath
Chris Bath is an Australian journalist, news anchor and radio and television presenter. Born and raised in Sydney’s west, she has been a journalist and news reporter/anchor since 1988. She began her career at Sydney’s Radio 2UE then moved to newsreader and reporting roles at Prime TV in Albury and NBN Television in Newcastle before spending two decades at the Seven network based in Sydney. She presented Evenings on ABC Radio Sydney from 2016 until 2019.
About Charlie Pickering
Charlie is an award-winning comic and TV and Radio presenter who has hosted on radio and TV. He was one of the founding hosts of The Project where he was a presenter for 5 years, has presented The Weekly with Charlie Pickering since 2015 and has been a regular host for ABC TV’s New Year’s Eve coverage. Charlie previously hosted ABC Radio Melbourne Breakfast on Friday’s.