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KIIS FM’s Drive show presenters Will McMahon and Woody Whitelaw have been axed as the station restructures for next year following the fallout from the loss of The Kyle and Jackie O Show.
On Thursday, ARN, which owns KIIS FM, confirmed McMahon and Whitelaw would depart the station by the end of the year.
In a joint statement, McMahon and Whitelaw said they were devastated by the decision.
“We are devastated we won’t be continuing to do what we truly love next year and will sorely miss hearing the stories of everyone who contributed to the show,” the pair said.
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“It was always the listeners who made the show, so we are deeply thankful to you all. We are also incredibly grateful to ARN for allowing us to live out our dream for the last eight years … Guess we’ll now have to finally figure out how to make LinkedIn profiles.”
ARN content chief Kerri Elstub said the duo had “been an important part of the KIIS family for the past eight years and have made a huge contribution to the network”.
“We wish Will and Woody all the very best for the future and look forward to seeing what they do next,” Elstub said. “In the meantime, they still have plenty of great radio ahead of them before the end of the year, and we look forward to celebrating their contribution and giving them the send-off they deserve.”
Trade publication Mediaweek has reported that Hit Network presenter Carrie Bickmore is tipped as a replacement.
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Asked by this masthead about Bickmore, an ARN spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied the Mediaweek report, saying: “ARN will take a refreshed approach to national Drive in 2027, completing an exciting new line-up for the KIIS network. Further details will be announced at ARN’s upfront later this year.”
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Kayla Olaya is a culture reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.AdvertisementAdvertisement