Ray Hadley announces Mark Levy will takeover show on 2GB
- The top-rated 2GB Morning Show presenter introduces listeners to his replacement
- Hadley presents his top program for the last time on Friday
Outgoing talkback radio king Ray Hadley will be replaced by popular sports presenter Mark Levy after the top-rated 2GB star signs off for the final time at the end of this week.
Hadley, who is retiring after 43 years behind the microphone, officially introduced his listeners live on air Tuesday morning shortly after 9 a.m.
A month of speculation over the veteran morning show host’s long-term successor at Nine Radio’s flagship 2GB station has come to an end after he announced his shock resignation in early November.
The former taxi driver told listeners on November 6 that he was resigning so he could spend more time with his wife Sophie, children and grandchildren, but agreed to stay until the end of the radio viewing season on Friday.
Levy immediately became a favorite to get into Hadley’s seat after successful stints filling in for tough-as-nails presenter and breakfast show colleague Ben Fordham.
While Nine Radio’s main presenters traditionally take an extended break during the non-ratings summer period, Levy will take up the position from Monday and work through the break to ensure his show is embedded by the time surveys resume next year.
The incoming host said he was looking forward to taking over and replacing his old 2GB mentor.
“As a young kid, I grew up listening to the talkback kings and taking over a time slot that has been owned by a mentor and friend for 20 years is something I am excited about and very honored to do,” said Levy.
Popular Nine Radio sports presenter Mark Levy will replace his long-term mentor Ray Hadley as host of the network’s flagship Sydney morning show 2GB from next week
Ray Hadley will end his role at Nine’s flagship Sydney talkback station 2GB on December 13 after more than two decades hosting his top-rated morning show
The veteran broadcaster wants to spend more time with his wife Sophie
“I look forward to the challenge ahead and can’t wait to speak to our loyal listeners every morning about the issues that affect them in what will be an important election year.”
Announcing the decision, Nine Radio credited the connection Levy had built with a captive audience of 2GB over his 18-year career at the broadcaster.
Levy cut his teeth in sports broadcasting and as the driving force behind Nine Radio’s Wide World of Sports and a key member of The Continuous Call Team, his voice has become synonymous with the country’s biggest sporting events.
He won widespread accolades – and claimed his sixth Australian Commercial Radio Awards – for his live coverage of the devastating Bondi Junction stabbing earlier this year.
2GB Content Manager Luke Davis praised Levy’s hard work and dedication since joining the channel.
“Over almost two decades, Mark Levy has proven to be one of Australia’s most talented, hard-working and versatile broadcasters – and a favorite of 2GB listeners, Davis said.
“As we usher in a new era of 2GB mornings, Mark will make the 9am to 12pm timeslot his own, bringing a fresh perspective on what matters most to Sydneysiders.”
The transfer comes at a crucial time for Nine Radio as it looks to refocus in the face of an ever-changing industry disrupted by online podcasts and music streaming.
Mark Levy will work his show to bed over the holidays before radio ratings return next year
Levy has had successful stints as an understudy for Hadley and 2GB breakfast show star Ben Fordham
Levy has a monumental task ahead of him as he replaces Hadley, who leaves an extraordinary legacy behind the microphone.
Hadley has ruled the radio in the fiercely competitive morning timeslot for the Sydney-based station since his debut in April 2002, after more than two decades at rival outlet 2UE, where he had started his radio career as a casual traffic reporter.
The tireless broadcaster, who celebrated his 70th birthday at the end of September, is also known to sports fans across the country for his unbeaten reign in rugby league State of Origin matches and the NRL Grand Final.
Hadley’s record-breaking career has won him 35 Australian Commercial Radio Awards for his work in news, current affairs and sport – more than any other broadcaster – and he was inducted into the ACRA Hall of Fame in 2017.
In addition, he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2002 for his services to rugby league and in recognition of his charity work, along with an induction into the Sydney Cricket Ground’s Media Hall of Honor in 2021.