UPDATE 22/11/16: Triple j has announced Matt and Alex’s replacements, and has farewelled a number of other presenters.
ORIGINAL STORY: Triple j ‘Breakfast’ hosts Matt Okine and Alex Dyson have shocked listeners this morning by announcing live on radio that they’ll “pack ‘er up, boys” at the end of the year, wrapping up their time at the station.
They’re last show will go down on Friday, 16th December, wrapping up three years as a duo, and signaling an end to a decade at the station for Dyson, who also presented breakfast with Tom Ballard for four years.
Dyson said live on air that he’s keen to spend some time overseas, after “going from school straight to uni, straight to triple j, I just want to go travelling.” He also described triple j as “more of a family” than a radio station, after tearing up while making the announcement.
Dyson began presenting at the station in 2007 with stints on Mid Dawns and Weekend Breakfast before moving into triple j breakfast with Ballard. He was joined in 2014 by Okine, who was added to the duo after he won the award for Best Newcomer at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival that year.
In a statement, Matt Okine says he wants to focus on television and commit more time to his own music project. “Before radio I actually studied an acting degree, so I figured I’d wait until my looks and hair had completely deteriorated before moving to the small screen,” he says.
Their shenanigans and antics will be missed, from segments like ‘random acts of kindness,’ to their ridiculous and incredible music videos the absolutely classic Doin’ Numbers.
Listeners have already begun calling in, with many tearfully wishing the duo well and thanking them for the laughs, and for often addressing serious issues like dealing with the death of parents.
The boys are also teasing a big announcement tomorrow morning’s show for how they’re going to say farewell over the coming weeks.
UPDATE 22/11/16: Matt and Alex have recuited a huge list of their triple j faves for five huge farewell parties.
Listen: Matt & Alex’s Emotional Farewell To Triple J
https://soundcloud.com/triple_j/matt-alex-have-some-news
