Lauren Phillips replaces PJ Harding on KIIS 101.1 breakfast
Australian Radio Network (ARN) has finally announced its new-look breakfast show on KIIS 101.1 Melbourne, with Lauren Phillips set to join Jase Hawkins on the show from 9 August.
Phillips’ appointment follows months of speculation after Polly ‘PJ’ Harding revealed she would be departing the show back in March.
She will join Hawkins as the full-time co-host of ‘Jase & Lauren in the Morning’, after spending time over last summer presenting the KIIS Melbourne Summer Breakfast show with Ryan Jon.
ARN chief content officer, Duncan Campbell, said: “KIIS 101.1 will now deliver Melbourne’s ‘show in the know’. Together with their love and passion for Melbourne, Jase & Lauren in the Morning will be fun and fresh, keeping listeners in the loop across all the news around town.
“Lauren was part of our KIIS Summer Breakfast Show and was an immediate hit with listeners for her likeable nature and infectious laughter.
“We are so pleased she will now be joining Jase, she was the perfect choice to take over from Polly ‘PJ’ Harding after she announced she was leaving KIIS to return home to New Zealand.
“Jase and Lauren each have a terrific sense of humour, plus their easy-going rapport makes them a perfect fit for the show and KIIS 101.1. They will be a dynamic duo in the Melbourne market.
“There will also be further announcements coming very soon on who else will be joining Jase & Lauren in the Morning.”
Phillips’ media career began over 13 years ago, and in that time she has established herself as a Melbourne TV personality, having presented shows including Kids WB, Today Show, Today Extra, Getaway, 20 to 1, The Australian Open Tennis and Helloworld Travel.
She is also the current weather presenter on Nine’s Weekend Today and of Victorian travel show Postcards.
Phillips said: “I’m so relieved the secret is finally out! I’m beyond excited to get started and I can’t wait to wake up with Melbourne every morning. Being part of the ARN family is a dream job for me. I love to have a laugh and a chat, and I can’t wait to do that with KIIS 101.1 listeners.”
Her co-host Hawkins added: “Lauren and I have had quite a few covert catch-ups over the past few months where we’ve been plotting and planning the new show and it’s been a lot of fun.
“I’ve been a fan of Lauren’s work for years and she makes me laugh, a lot. She’s got the perfect energy for breakfast radio – you just want to be around her. I can’t wait to share with Melbourne what we’ve planned.”
Jase and PJ joined KIIS 101.1 breakfast in Melbourne in 2018, but Harding has made the decision to return home to be with her fiancè. She recently got engaged while spending time in New Zealand last year when Melbourne was in lockdown.
Before arriving at ARN’s KIIS 101.1 in 2018, Jase and PJ presented a hugely successful drive show on New Zealand radio network NZ.
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Zanda Wilson was a reporter and podcast producer at Mumbrella, specialising in radio reporting. He left Mumbrella in September 2021.
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ARN
Australian Radio Network
Duncan Campbell
Jase and Lauren
Jase and PJ
KIIS 101.1
Lauren Phillips
PJ Harding
