Ten years ago I worked with Ray Hadley. When I say ‘worked’ I mean I physically went to the same building as he did, but my role in traffic, and his on air on 2GB, meant that I doubt he was aware of my existence, which I was led to believe was a good thing.
I listened to his whole shows, and later when I moved to Canberra, I ended up looking after the network feed of Ray around other jobs again. I mention all this because I’ve probably heard more of Hadley than any other radio personality. I’m a country music and NRL fan too.
My father is strong willed, hardworking, meticulous and doesn’t suffer fools lightly. So was my first boss. Both championed me but offered praise infrequently enough that those moments still resonate. These are also the attributes of Ray Hadley. There are people in our industry who have felt the wrath of Ray, and there are those who did our very best work because of him.
On November 25, 2014, Phillip Hughes was struck in the neck by a bouncer bowled by Sean Abbott at the SCG. In front of his teammates, he dropped to the ground and never regained consciousness.
I’d been willing this charming young man to live. He was our brother, friend, son, family. When Ray announced Phil’s death two days later, it hit me how hard Ray’s role is, saying such words out loud.
Then three weeks later on Monday December 15, 2014, Ray started on air unaware that a siege was unfolding at the Lindt Café in Sydney’s Martin Place. Several phone calls were made to 2GB that day and, with 2GB and 2CH locked down, Ray decided to stay on air well beyond his midday end time, balancing advice from police with the palpable fear he could hear in hostages’ voices.
I remember Ray begging for those hostages to be released.
Read radioinfo’s report of Ray’s performance that day from 2014 HERE.
Ray Hadley has won a lot of radio surveys, challenged a lot of people and been present for some of Australia’s greatest sporting moments. He is also a human being who has in recent years, I don’t want to say mellowed, but perhaps looked within and thought about where he can do and be better. Grandkids, and his new wife Sophie, have changed his priorities.
There was a moment, with hindsight, at the 2024 ACRAs where I was watching Ray in the room with his Continuous Call Team colleagues and I felt like he was looking at it through different eyes. Perhaps aware that this might be his last time amongst his peers.
I wondered if he had decided then that this was the year he would call it a day.
I’ll pause here and share that, having listened to so many of Ray’s own guest introductions over the years, I asked if I could please do him the same honour and read him the above? I know now that the preparation and care put into such things goes a long way to how that guest receives the experience, and any challenging questions you intend to ask.
Ray responded with a simple thank you and additional details of those events 10 years ago. He knew Sean Abbott’s grandparents Carmel and Billy well. The ripples from just one ball of cricket devastated not just Phillip’s family, but Sean and his too.
Phillip was a lad from near where Ray was born.
The day of the Lindt siege Ray was aware that something was happening as he went on air. His friend, the barrister Sandy Dawson’s sister Katrina was in the café with a heavily pregnant friend, simply catching up for coffee. Katrina and the café manager Tori Johnson, who rang 2GB a few times across the 15th of December, lost their lives. Sandy lost his battle with brain cancer two years ago, aged just 50.
In Ray’s head he holds an encyclopedia of names, dates and stories connecting the two. With that ability comes the skill of painting a picture without pause. I am not ashamed to say that I sat in tears as Ray went back over those three weeks of November and December a decade ago.
One reason for this momentous decision to retire is that Ray is starting to find that he has to work just a little bit harder to find that name, or date. This is where his incredible producer Olivia Wilbury, who has worked with him for more than a decade, steps in. They know each other so well she will have what he is seeking in front of him almost immediately.
Olivia gently interrupted us after 45 minutes as Ray needed to join Ben Fordham. There will be an Action Plan to drive cultural change in 2025 at Nine Entertainment when Ray departs. Olivia and Luke Davis, 2GB’s 2024 ACRA winning Content Director, who gave me a station tour before my chat, both spoke positively of just how much they have learned from working alongside a once in a lifetime broadcaster like Ray.
Ray’s own once in a lifetime broadcaster is John Laws. He said that Lawsy had called him a copycat early in his career not realising that Ray took that as the highest compliment.
Ray is in his own league, and I choose that word deliberately. 99 State of Origin calls, 35 Rugby League Grand Finals, thousands of club games, three Rugby World Cups and seven Olympic Games.
His support for Australian country music is significant too. One of his first ever guests was Troy Cassar-Daley. He introduced us to The McClymonts (who were messaging Ray while we spoke), Beccy Cole and more. For 16 years, he did the Sunday Ray Hadley Country Music Countdown show for free.
I can hear you say, c’mon – he was on such a salary that he wasn’t really doing it for free, but the story goes deeper than that. Ray approached Macquarie Radio Chairman Russell Tait and said that the network really should have a country program.
Russell said something like nobody likes country and it won’t rate.
Ray said, let me do it on a Sunday night, 10pm till midnight. I know I’m right.
Russell asked how much it’ll cost him.
Ray said nothing and has stuck to that amount despite its success in the timeslot and later networking. It is what he worries about the most in his departure actually. By agreeing to do the country music program and the prep, interview and time involved, Ray worked seven days a week for that time during NRL seasons. 16 years, 7 days a week.
For the record Robert ‘The Duck’ Smith will continue the country show for the foreseeable future, but The Duck isn’t as invested as Ray is. I’m not sure anyone can be and that is reflected in the support for the show from listeners, and the love for Ray from the industry.
Ray mentioned that he’d asked Laurel Edwards, Troy Cassar-Daley’s wife, a talented singer herself and until recently a 30 year breakfast radio veteran in Brisbane, for some tips ahead of retirement. Laurel said there’s a point at around week four where it hits, and hurts. Then you need to make sure to have plenty to do and see.
Ray will have that in spades. He talked about the week prior which involved a dance recital, a birthday party and trip to Taronga Zoo. He vividly described being amongst a horde of children and giraffes, none of whom know (or care) that he is 2GB’s Ray Hadley.
I believe that Ray is fully committed to this ‘break’. He is not in discussions with Sky News, 2SM or anyone else. He is going to Las Vegas with 2GB listeners next year in a preplanned event. He might look at other options for a country show later. Sophie and he will move out of Sydney. He told Nine Radio Head of Content Greg Byrnes after the Olympics:
“I’m not the same. I’m still jumping out of bed but I don’t want to get to the stage where I’m not. I’m at peace with this decision.”
I ask him about what he would say to any new person embarking on radio:
‘Work ethic matters. You can cultivate talent but but not work ethic.”
Ray looked me in the eye and said,
“Your dad was strong and tough. He worked hard and was harsh on errors?”
I nod.
“That’s how I was raised. No one worked harder than my dad. He worked two jobs, a butcher in the day and bar steward at night. And my mum. How I respond was how I was responded to. But I’ve seen the need to change and have worked hard on myself and made apologies. You can’t though, accept lazy.
I am impressed with how young people are so much more involved with their kids. Dads are taking on bigger roles and responsibility is shared. I’m looking forward to the grand kids coming for sleepovers and not thinking about the alarm. Travelling, Sophie wants to go to Italy. I find the stories where a young person has died hit harder. I think of my kids, my grandkids. I’ll be glad to put that down. I won’t miss that.”
It’s time for Ray to go. He’d chatting with Adam Harvey today. He looks at his emails and reads out a part from a listener called Cheryl who says that Ray has ‘extensive caring knowledge”
I’m not sure I could have said it better. Olivia takes the attached photo, and Ray asks if we can hug.
I’d been so nervous about this conversation, needlessly.
I recently attended a CBAA session run by Shane Fitzsimmons on the attributes of a great leader. He spoke of the need to put nice down in important conversations and critical situations. To accept that we make mistakes, that we have the capacity for change and that leaders are doing the best job they know how to in moments that are not pre-records. I would walk toward danger if Shane or Ray asked me to.
2GB has not yet announced who will replace Ray Hadley on 2GB Mornings. Whoever that person is, I feel confident that Ray will be a cheer squad and a guide.
Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo.
UPDATE: Ray Hadley’s replacement