Former 2Day FM breakfast crew co-host, Paul Holmes, begins his new drive show this afternoon on 101.7 WSFM.

The Australian Radio Network (ARN) says the show will use humour, music, interviews, news and all things Sydney to get people home each day.

In a return to more traditional shifts, WSFM has shuffled hours across the day to accommodate Holmes, meaning all existing announcers remain on air.

From today, Holmes will do ‘The Holmestretch’ from 4-7pm. Ron E Sparx will finish his morning show at 1pm (from 2pm), while Lars Petersen will do 1-4, instead of 2-7. Jonesy and Kayley remain unchanged on breakfast.

Holmes – close to veteran status these days – left 2Day FM late last year after the demise of the breakfast crew of Wendy Harmer and Greg Fleet (and, firstly, Peter Moon).

After 12 years on breakfast, Holmes is looking forward to normal hours and the chance to go solo.

“This is a chance for me to so something I live or die by on my own and there’s no gang or crew around – just me.”

Holmes says he has no problem with WSFM’s classic hits’ format: “That’s the music I grew up with. I was never a big Britney or Whitney fan.”

“While I’ve enjoyed my six month break, radio is my passion and I’m very excited to be back. After driving people to work for 12 years, it will be nice to get them home – it’s a much nicer destination.

“ARN has come a long way in the past few years and it’s on the rise. There’s a lot happening and I think it’s going to be a really exciting place to work.”

John Williams, General Manager of ARN Sydney, says WSFM is thrilled to have Holmes on board and believes he will place his inimitable stamp on the drive time slot.

“It’s not every day that a talent like Paul comes along so we did the smart thing and snapped him up.”

Holmes’ impressive radio career spans 25 years. After working at Fox FM breakfast in Melbourne, he moved to Sydney to join 2SM in the 1980s, worked with Triple M in the Mulray years and, most recently, spent 12 years on breakfast at 2Day FM.