Today marked the start of a new era in Australian broadcasting as popular presenter Ben Fordham took over the 2GB breakfast show, following Alan Jones’ departure on Friday.
Jones recorded his final program last week, after an incredible 35 years on the airwaves. His predecessor stepped up to plate this morning, and was joined by the likes of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and NSW One Nation leader Mark Latham for his first show.
“Well, well, well good morning, thank you very much for tuning in,” he said as he kicked off this morning’s show. “I’m not going to go screaming like I usually do in the afternoon because it’s early morning and some people are just waking up.”
The 43-year-old added: “This is a brand-new breakfast show so you’re going to have to bear with me, I will be making a few errors along the way, but I promise you we have a big one coming your way.”
Ben started his journalism career at 2UE when he was just 15 after landing a work experience gig on the Alan Jones Breakfast show. In 1995 he became a cadet reporter at 2UE and was appointed as a political correspondent at the age of 20. He also spent a year working for Sky News and has worked on several Channel Nine shows, including Today, A Current Affair, 60 Minutes and Australian Ninja Warrior.
Over the weekend, Fordham appeared in Stellar magazine and revealed he actually turned down the job a number of times before finally accepting it. He said: “I totally appreciate that the job itself is a spectacular one.
“But make no mistake, it’s not one I was chasing for family reasons. I just wasn’t. I was concerned about the impact it would have on the family setup. And I suppose I just thought it would be easier not to. I think I said no about six times.”
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Fordham was announced as Jones’ replacement last month, after the 79-year-old shock jock announced that he would be retiring from radio due to health concerns. Revealing the news live on-air, Jones said: “We are living in the world of coronavirus. The most repeated statement we hear is ‘we must listen to the experts’.
“Well, the experts are telling me in no uncertain terms, and not for the first time I might add, ‘Continuing with the present workload is seriously detrimental to your health’. I have listened to the experts and I am taking this opportunity to indicate to my radio family that I will be retiring from radio at the end of this month.”
Jones wrapped up by reading a poignant poem titled ‘Bag of Tools’ written by Robert Lee Sharpe. “I always tell the young people whom I know, the young must dream, it’s the old who remember,” he said. “Dreaming is the poetry of life and we can all be forgiven if we indulge in a little dreaming from time to time. R.L. Sharpe says this in Bag of Tools.”
The broadcaster went on to read the moving poem, which goes: “Isn’t it strange that princes and kings, and clowns that caper in sawdust rings. And common people like you and me, are builders for eternity. Each is given a bag of tools, a shapeless mass, a book of rules. And each must make, ere life is flown, a stumbling block, or a stepping stone.”