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Triple J announce new breakfast hosts to replace Matt Okine and Alex Dyson

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Triple j unveiled their brand new Breakfast team, with Adelaide radio presenters Ben Harvey and Liam Stapleton taking over the hosting duties from comedian Matt Okine and long-time Triple J presenter Alex Dyson.

Okine and Dyson announced their departure on-air yesterday in an emotional speech to fans, with Dyson joking today that his attempt to hug Okine before they left the studio yesterday went unrequited, with Okine quickly quipping, "we've still got four weeks to go!"

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Many won't be familiar with Ben and Liam's Fresh 92.7 show, unless from Adelaide.

Ollie Wards, Triple J content director, said in a statement: "Ben and Liam crack me up. They're 23 and 20 but come to the radio with thousands of hours on air together and crazy amounts of fun ideas.

"They'll be part of a broad new team, including an expanded news role with Brooke Boney, our voice of youth current affairs in the mornings. They'll also be joined by a wide cast of weekly contributors on the show including sports star Dylan Alcott and comedian Gen Fricker."

Psyched to get started, Ben said:  "Considering just two years ago I was listening to Triple J from a tractor on a dairy farm, I'm super stoked to have the opportunity to host Triple J Breakfast with my mate Liam. Even if he does wear the skinniest drain pipe jeans I've ever seen."

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Liam added: "We're both so unbelievably pumped to be joining Triple J. It's a radio station like no other. In Year Two I was cast as a rock in the Easter play so I really didn't expect to be doing a national breakfast show at 20."

Harvey grew up in Lewiston on two and a half acres of South Australian country land. Leaving school at 16, he worked on a dairy farm doing all the things you'd expect, like milking cows, driving tractors, delivering calves and wearing flannel shirts. 

Stapleton grew up in suburban South Australia where the passion to entertain came early, doing his first show on Adelaide community station Fresh 92.7 at the age of 15. 

When Harvey turned 18, the farm boy moved to the city and started volunteering at community radio and from there the Ben and Liam show began.

Both fans of stand-up comedy, they worked their way up through the Adelaide scene, competing in the South Australian Raw Comedy State Finals and selling out Ben and Liam's Big Night of Wiffy Banter at Adelaide Fringe. 

Other Triple J farewells include Lewis McKirdy, who is heading over to the UK after six years hosting Triple J Lunch. Comedian and current Weekend Arvos host, Gen Fricker will take over from McKirdy, as well as make regular appearances on Triple J Breakfast.

Queen of Roots 'n All, Sarah Howells also finishes up at Triple J after 11 years. Howells has been working at ABC Local Radio in QLD for the last six months, but will return to the Triple J airwaves for one final Roots 'n All on December 12.

Filling in on Roots 'n All for the past six months has been lead singer of Melbourne band Saskwatch, Nkechi Anele, who now officially takes up the reins.

After six years of presenting Weekend Breakfast, Weekend Afternoons and regularly filling in on Triple J Breakfast and Drive, Kyran Wheatley is also leaving Triple J to focus on his comedy and podcasting career.

New voices on Triple J from January 9, 2017:

  • Breakfast with Ben Harvey, Liam Stapleton & Brooke Boney, with regular guests Dylan Alcott and Gen Fricker
  • Lunch with Gen Fricker
  • Roots 'n All with Nkechi Anele
  • Weekend Arvos with Dylan Alcott

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