Matt De Groot has surprised Nova 969 Fitzy and Wippa with Kate Ritchie breakfast show listeners with an announcement today.
After 11 years with the station, De Groot is leaving the breakfast show at the end of the year.
Wippa teased the announcement just after 8.20am this morning saying there was a team announcement up next.
The breakfast show’s news presenter Matt De Groot announced that he would be leaving the Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie show.
De Groot will be moving to London next year to support his wife Bronte Coy, who will be heading up news.com.au’s royal and entertainment coverage.
Since joining the breakfast dup in 2013, De Groot has delivered approximately 39,000 traffic reports, 20,000 news bulletins, has read the news from the top of the Harbour Bridge, in an ice bath, in a fighter plane, in a helicopter, on the snow, on a cruise ship, and in the line for Harry Styles.
“Every member of this team is crucial,” said Wippa as he introduced De Groot.
“Somebody else is going to have the opportunity to have the best job in Sydney breakfast radio news,” said De Groot as he explained the reasons for his departure. “This is not a decision we have made lightly, but this is a great opportunity for the family.”
Fitzy added: “You have been a vital part of this show for the past decade and we thank you. We now have three weeks left together so maybe in that time you might be able to get a traffic report right?”
While at Nova Entertainment, De Groot has also hosted Nova’s Summer Breakfast show, a Saturday breakfast show and a Sunday night show. In addition, he has been a regular on Channel 7’s The Morning Show, 10’s Studio 10, a rugby league commentator on Channel 9 and has been a vocal men’s health advocate and an Ambassador for White Ribbon, Batyr, The Primary Club and Thankful.
Top photo: Fitzy, Wippa, Kate Ritchie, Matt De Groot and breakfast show EP Tom Ivey
See also: Sydney Radio Ratings 2023 Survey 6