Neil Mitchell has called time on his radio career this morning after 34 years behind the microphone.
After weeks of speculation that he would be leaving, the radio host announced his retirement from his decorated career at 3AW this morning.
“Apart from my family, this has been my life and it has been a huge privilege,” Mitchell said. “It is a tough decision to step away from the daily program. It is the best job I have ever had.”
Managing director of Nine Radio Tom Malone said Mitchell “has been at the top of his game and the top ratings for nearly all of that time”.
“It’s an incredible run,” Malone said. “We’d have loved him to stay on, but Neil is adamant it’s time.”
Two years ago, the 71-year-old radio host said he could not imagine himself doing something other than sitting behind the microphone hosting Mornings at 3AW. His work spans across radio, television and newspapers, winning him some of the most prestigious awards in journalism. He is also the only person to be inducted into both the Australian Commercial Radio Hall of Fame and Melbourne Press Club Hall of Fame.
Mitchell has held the 8:30am – 12pm slot on the Melbourne radio station since 1990 and his final broadcast will be on December 1. He is set to take up a new role at 3AW and Nine as an analyst and will continue his podcast Neil Mitchell Asks Why.
His replacement will be announced in the coming days.
Mitchell’s news comes as ABC Radio Melbourne announced Virginia Trioli’s replacement for the station’s Mornings program. Rafael Epstein will take over the hosting role from mid-September. After 12 years of hosting Drive, the two time Walkley Award winner could not keep in his excitement for the new role and described it as the best job in the world.
“I get to put things into context, I get to listen to people’s questions and I get to put those questions to people who are in power,” he said. “And now I get to do that on a bigger, grander stage — and that’s incredible.”
Trioli’s last day on radio will be on September 15 as she re-enters television to host a program set to air next year.
Photo: Grey Condenser Microphone by Pixabay available HERE and used under a Creative Commons license. This image has not been modified.
