When Marty Sheargold announced he was leaving radio in September, fans were thrilled when fun-loving host Joel Creasey was announced as his replacement.
But no one was happier than co-host Kate Ritchie, who radio insiders tell Woman’s Day actively campaigned for Joel’s hire after Marty left, in a bid to avoid a “boys’ club” culture on the airwaves.
From 2014, Kate, Marty and Tim Blackwell made the Kate, Tim & Marty show one of the most bankable and entertaining slots on the airwaves.
With their witty banter and jokey interviews, the trio’s fun and relaxed chemistry made it the number one drive show in the country. However, little did listeners know, once the microphones were off, the warm banter often turned to ice-cold radio silence!
Kate feels like an outsider in the radio industry.
(Image: Nova)A well-placed source tells Woman’s Day that the culture behind the soundproofed walls of Nova was not always ideal, and that at times it felt like a bit of a “boys’ club” – so much so that friends wondered if Kate would give up her microphone for good.
According to the industry insider, Kate, 42, who has admitted to feeling like an outsider in the radio industry because she spent so many years working as an actor, told bosses at Nova in 2018 she wanted to quit the show, after sometimes struggling to get her voice heard over good mates Tim, 39, and Marty, 49.
Friends wondered if Kate would walk from her Nova show.
(Credit: Nova)“To be fair, she was often the butt of the joke with Tim and Marty. It wasn’t always the workplace she had imagined,” says the source.
After learning of her grievances, Woman’s Day is told that senior executives at Nova begged mum- of-one Kate to stay – eventually offering her a very healthy pay rise, which she accepted.
But when Marty announced his plans to leave radio and focus on comedy, Kate knew she had to go into battle to get the changes she really wanted.
“She’s determined to shape the culture going forward,” our source says, adding she sees Joel, 30, with his relaxed, modern attitude, as the perfect partner to do so with.
