Emma Chow is under no illusions as to the uphill ratings battle she’s about to confront, it’s just that she’s not letting herself get caught up in all the radio chatter — pun intended.
Last week it was announced that Chow would be joining Jimmy & Nath (Jimmy Smith and Nathan Roye) with the pair (and now trio) locked in to take over 2DayFM Breakfast in 2025. Accepting the coveted position meant Chow had to call it quits with her radio partner of more than 14 years, Mike E (Michael Etheridge).
“I guess you could say I’ve broken up a marriage,” Chow told Mediaweek. “Now I’ve gone on to become a third wheel in another marriage.” All jokes aside, Chow offered nothing but respect for her former co-host, revealing that while “it was obviously not the news that he wanted to hear” but “still wishes me the best”.
Jimmy Smith, Emma Chow & Nathan Roye.
She continued: “We grew up together from our early 20s and have been through all the ups and downs that life brings, and I think that there’s a respect and a trust that you have with each other that if an opportunity comes up you’re happy for the other person.”
Chow revealed to Mediaweek that she was first approached by SCA chief content officer Dave Cameron who, according to Chow, “wanted a strong female voice for 2025”. The mother-of-two then knocked out a demo with Jimmy & Nath which she said felt, surprisingly, “so natural”.
“It was amazing,” she said. “I didn’t expect it to be that natural and such a great fit, because going from two voices to three can be a bit of a juggle sometimes. You know, everyone wants to have their say and they want to be involved, but everything just flowed”.
It’s a formula SCA will be praying works, after going through seven different breakfast show variations since 2013, although for Chow, she believes the time slot invites pressure regardless of where the show is being broadcast from.
“There’s always pressure for breakfast, no matter what, but I think that this iteration of 2DayFM Breakfast has a really strong chance of succeeding,” she said. “I really, really believe that, because the team is solid, and everyone’s headed towards the same goal, and we’re all on the same page, and we in it together.”
Pictured: Emma Chow