Mornings in Hobart are sounding a little different with Hobart’s Hit100.9 welcoming new hosts Dan & Christie to its breakfast time slot.
From 6-9am on weekdays, listeners in Hobart are now waking up with Tassie radio jock Dan Taylor and former Home and Away star Christie Hayes.
The duo’s new show kicked off on May 23, as The Jimmy & Nath show, which held the timeslot for four years, moved to a late-night national timeslot.
See also: Jimmy and Nath on taking the national stage with new weekend breakfast show
Coming straight from their first show, Taylor and Hayes spoke to Mediaweek about jumping on the Hobart airwaves.
“We had such a wonderful, fun time, we found our rhythm together and the listeners seemed like they really enjoyed the show, too. It feels like we had a great first show,” Hayes said.
“We love Hobart, we’re all about the people. It’s the people that make it, it’s like a family down here,” Taylor added.
The pair, who have families of their own, want to be the voice of reason for busy parents in the morning.
“We want to bring a different feel to the mums and dads in the car or to someone who might be struggling. We want them to know that we get it and really just try and connect with as many people as we can to give them a very entertaining but relatable breakfast show,” Hayes said.
Dan Taylor and Christie Hayes
Taylor returns to his Hit100.9 roots, having started his successful radio career on the station back in the early 2000s. He described the show as a “real pinch yourself moment,” after being a fan of the Kim & Dave show 20 years ago.
“It’s so strange because I was just a young kid back then, so Kim and Dave were on every single day and I’d listen to them every day.
“They were the catalyst for me and my love for radio. They’re huge influences and great mentors of ours and we’ll actually have them on the show this week too,” Taylor added.
Hayes has recently relocated to Hobart after hosting breakfast radio on Illawarra’s i98FM for more than four years. She said when the opportunity to join the show arose it was a no-brainer.
“I know it’s very cliche, but to me, this is a place that I’ve always wanted to move to, so the fact that this breakfast show came up, and it was here, it was never a question in my mind,” she said.
“I’m a wife and a mother and to me, Hobart is the perfect place to raise a family, it has everything that I love, which is mountains, beaches and wineries, without the traffic of the mainland.”
Hayes has many family ties to Hobart, discovering a family secret on the first day of the show.
“I have a really strong family history here too. I actually found out on air by my mother this morning that I was conceived here,” she added. “I’ve got so many, aunts, uncles, the whole shebang down here, so I’ve wanted to do this for a long time.”
The duo have lots of new and old games and segments in the works. In true Hit Network tradition, they are bringing back Alphabucks – a segment that gives a listener 30 seconds to name 10 words with one letter for a chance to win money.
“1000 bucks is more money than I’ve given away in the last seven years,” said Taylor.
Despite knowing each other for just over a month, the pair have built a strong friendship, with Taylor now giving Hayes a ride to work every day.
“One thing I love about Dan is how nice he is how talented he is but also how respectful he is,” she said. “I really do feel that Dan and I together are going to do awesome things for radio and I feel really lucky to work with my friend.”
Taylor also commended Hayes’ work ethic and warmth, adding “I’ve felt like I’ve known her my whole life because I’ve watched her in Home and Away.
“And also Christie is my all-access pass to Tammin Sursok.” Taylor joked.
Listen to the brand new Dan & Christie show from 6-9 am weekdays from Monday, May 23 on Hobart’s Hit100.9 or via the free LiSTNR app.