Dynamic Duos: triple j breakfast hosts ‘couldn’t be more different’
This week, triple j's breakfast hosts, Concetta Caristo and Bryce Mills, reflect on their time working together, including interviewing actor Paul Rudd, presenting an ARIA award and making each other laugh authentically, everyday, on and off air.
In Dynamic Duos, Mumbrella each week asks two colleagues with a professional and personal affiliation to share with readers the importance of workplace relationships in an increasingly hybridised world of work.
Concetta Caristo:
You’d think Bryce and I would have met at some point before triple j as we both were in the very small pool of improvisers in Sydney – but you’d be wrong. We were both trivia hosts for the same trivia company, yet our paths still didn’t cross (cruel universe vibes). In fact, I think the closest we got to meeting pre-triple j was when I sat behind him and his partner in the audience of a community theatre production one night. It stands out as a formative memory because it was a bit of a bomb, and I think the entire audience had trauma bonded.
When I eventually came through the ranks of triple j, I got to fill in on breakfast for a show and we hit it off. I was a newbie, and he was a veteran, but the energy and chemistry felt so natural and exciting.
Bryce is passionate about radio craft, has the ability to be calm no matter the workload or chaos happening around him and panels like a god (his words). He is an incredible storyteller and speaks in a way that grabs your attention or, as I call it, a shock jock. He is also just very funny, and my all-time favourite moments are when he is making me – keel over laughing/on the floor in a ball so I don’t piss laughing.
We try to make a radio show that is entertaining and inviting. We both care about building a community of listeners, having fun and not taking things too seriously. Plus, I think our improv backgrounds mean we both enjoy chaos and spontaneity to be a part of our shows.
Bryce and I couldn’t be more different – he’s stable, and I truly fluctuate between hundreds of unique and exhausting emotions daily. I think through mutual respect, curiosity and communication, we are able to navigate the crazy world of breakfast radio.
Bryce Mills:
Like Chet said, it’s crazy we hadn’t already met, considering all of our mutual interests. I’d definitely heard of Concetta plenty of times, and something that always fascinated me from afar is how I’d hear stories about one of her OG improv troupes.
Word on the street was they were showing up to stand-up comedy nights and performing as the only improv troupe amongst stand-up comedians… and they were killing it. I can’t even imagine what that tone shift was like from the audience’s POV, but I know it would’ve been very hard to pull off.
Chet’s genuine enthusiasm for almost everything makes her perfect for breakfast radio. Whenever she filled in, I’d see her face light up while talking to callers and how genuinely invested she was in their stories. You can’t fake that kind of stuff – and I reckon you can hear that through the radio.
She’s also a completely open book. The very first time she filled in on breakfast, she told a story about the time she tried to send nudes, and it backfired… hard. And that’s the kind of person she is – completely willing to dive into anything head first.
She’s someone you want to tell your gossip to and the kind of friend you want in your group. And lucky in Australia – thousands of people get to feel like she’s their friend by tuning in to the show each morning.
I love that our goal each morning is to shock each other, make each other laugh and do it in a way that isn’t overly pre-planned unless absolutely necessary.
Concetta on Bryce:
Most memorable moment with Bryce: Presenting an ARIA award together was a huge milestone. To represent triple j at an iconic event such as the ARIAs was surreal, and presenting such a special award (the Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist) to a talented band like Teenage Dads was the cherry on top.
Best word to describe him: Calm.
Most annoying habit or endearing behaviour he has: Bryce has a memory like an elephant – he remembers every little thing you’ve ever told him, whether it’s your coffee order or an embarrassing childhood memory. He whips it out when you least expect it, and depending on the thing he remembers – it can be annoying or endearing!
Bryce on Concetta:
Most memorable moment with Bryce: Our first big press junket together was interviewing Paul Rudd. We asked him to hit us with his best wink, and by god, he delivered. The fact we were sitting so close to him in that moment is wild to me.
Best word to describe him: Joyful.
Most annoying habit or endearing behaviour he has: When we first started working together, I’d hear Chet sigh out loud a lot, in the kind of way that it sounded like she was a bit upset or bored or something. After a few days of hearing these sighs, I asked her if everything was ok, and to my surprise, it was actually the first time she’d been told she had this unconscious habit.
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Lauren McNamara is a journalist at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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