This morning, on Sydney’s Nova 969, Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfi conducted the daily roll call and, just like that, Kate Ritchie returned to the fold.

It would have been earlier, but Kate got a cold. It came with no preamble or hype. She just slipped back in where she belongs, including her parking space.

Her time off and planned return has been treated with the greatest respect by her Nova network and colleagues. With the news of the death of American singer Kelly Clarkson‘s ex-husband Brandon Blackstock today, explaining Kelly’s own absence and postponement of shows as she focused on their children, there has been greater thought to walking in another’s shoes before judging.

It’s good to have her back on air. Next step, linguini intervention.

Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo.