Nova’s Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie show has been axed from its breakfast time slot.
The network confirmed on Friday that the trio’s breakfast show will be replaced by a new program – Ricki-Lee & Tim – hosted by Ricki-Lee Coulter and Tim Blackwell, formerly the hosts of Nova’s Drive show alongside Joel Creasey.
While Creasey’s immediate role has not been publicly announced, the overhaul represents one of the most significant line-up changes Nova has enacted in years.
Meanwhile, Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie will be shifted into a national Drive timeslot.
The trio announced the news on Friday’s breakfast show.
‘After 15 years of doing this breakfast radio show, the Fitzy and Wippa, Kate Richie show, they have finally completed their apprenticeship, and they’re going to be graduating to the national drive time position,’ Wippa said.
Nova’s Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie show has been axed from its breakfast time slot
‘4-6pm around Australia on the country’s best Radio Network, Nova. There it is, guys.’
Fitzy added: ‘Now, I know there’s probably a lot of people freaking out thinking that we were going to leave. We’re not. It’s this is not a goodbye at all.’
‘This is the evolution of the show. We’ve been doing this for 15 years, and we have an amazing audience. We cannot do this without you, but we we’ve been dropping you and the kids off at school every morning, but now we’re just going to be driving you home in the afternoon.’
‘It’s as simple as that, and the show will be Fitzy, Wippa, and Kate. One condition that we made, Wippa and I, was if we’re going to do this show, Kate Ritchie doesn’t get two names,’ he joked
Not missing a beat, Kate quipped: ‘Well, Kate Ritchie’s not being dropped from the show! And I think that’s because I finally learned how to spell my name so I don’t need to see it on the side of busses.’
In a press release, Ritchie said she’s ‘thrilled’ about making the move.
‘I’ve absolutely loved my time with the boys on Sydney Breakfast and I’m thrilled we now get to share our show with all of Australia,’ she said.
‘My morning alarm is ready and waiting to be set for packing school lunch and doing drop-off again with the beauty of entertaining our loyal listeners on their drive home. It’ll be an exciting evolution for all of us’.
The network confirmed on Friday that the trio’s breakfast show will be replaced by a new program – Ricki-Lee & Tim – hosted by Ricki-Lee Coulter and Tim Blackwell, formerly the hosts of Nova’s Drive show alongside Joel Creasey
Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli similarly approached the news with optimism, saying ‘the time has come to share the love with the rest of the country.’
And Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald added: ‘I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved with our audience in Sydney over the past 15 years, but equally excited to open up to our national family.’
The changes will take place on Monday, February 9, 2026.
Back in June last year, Fitzy hinted their show may be coming to an end.
He said the co-hosts’ contracts with Nova may not be renewed by the end of the year.
During a discussion about the program’s future, he said: ‘I don’t think they are being renewed. I’m gonna miss it, but we gotta hang up the mic at some stage.’
Fitzy and Wippa were without their co-host Kate at the start of last year after she took time off to deal with personal issues.
She finally returned to the show in August after taking a long hiatus to work on her mental health.
The overhaul represents one of the most significant line-up changes Nova has enacted in years
The Nova 96.9 Sydney breakfast radio host, 47, had been absent from the show since January after she had a very public meltdown in a Sydney park.
Kate was receiving ongoing support at a rehabilitation facility after her public meltdown, which saw her photographed in tears and appearing visibly distressed shortly after picking up daughter Mae from school.
She released a statement to Instagram in February addressing the concerning photos and explaining why she was taking a break from her radio show.
‘I struggle with mental health issues at times, which are deeply personal. This has proven to be a bigger challenge than I imagined,’ she began.
‘So I have decided to take a break from the show and the team who I love to focus on my health. 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.’
Kate went on to address the images taken on January 29.
‘This is also a problem many others are struggling with. They know what it’s like. The images of me taken last week show that I wasn’t okay on that day,’ she continued.
She went on to thank her friends and fans for their support over the past week.
‘Thank you to my wonderful family, all the Nova listeners, and many others who are sending their love and support. I appreciate it more than you can imagine,’ she wrote.
At the time of Kate’s departure, Nova’s co-hosts had promised their audience the absent Kate would return after one day off, but that timeline was soon dropped.
Nova had remained tight-lipped on any potential comeback date and did not respond to questions about whether the embattled star had continued to receive pay during her absence.
