Matt De Groot leaving Nova 96.9

After a decade with Nova 96.9’s Sydney breakfast show and 11 years with the Nova Network, news presenter Matt De Groot announced on air this morning he’s leaving the Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie show at the end of the year to move to the UK.

Fitzy, Wippa, Kate Ritchie, Matt De Groot and EP Tom Ivey at the 2023 ACRAs

De Groot estimates he has delivered nearly 40K traffic reports, 20,000 news bulletins and has read the news from the top of the Harbour Bridge, in an ice bath, in a fighter plane, in a helicopter, on the snow, on a cruise ship, and in the line for Harry Styles. He’s also hosted Nova’s Summer Breakfast show, been a regular on Channel 7’s The Morning Show, Ten’s Studio 10, a rugby league commentator on Channel 9 and is a men’s health advocate and an Ambassador for White Ribbon.

De Groot said on air:

I’m a little bit more nervous than I thought I would be right now. It has been the best 10 years with the best team, mostly, to be fair often traumatic! My beautiful wife Bronte has been given an amazing opportunity to head up news.com.au’s royal coverage in London, on the back of all the amazing work she’ been doing over the last couple months there and it’s too great an opportunity as a family to pass up  the chance to move to London and live over there for a couple of years, and just experience what that’s all about and follow her career. And so, after 10 years of telling people it’s busy on the M5 someone else will have the opportunity to do the best job in Sydney radio news next year.”

Wippa replied:

Don’t go. You obviously had to choose, you have to think about the choice, do I choose my wife or the team?”

Fitzy said:

I do love this and while you’re young what a great opportunity, and we know the love you have for your family. We’ve been trying to talk you around this and is there any way we can have you involved. The insight that you bring into this show and your personality, you have been a vital part of this show for 10 years and we want to say thank you very much for all of that buddy.

We’ve got three weeks to go so hopefully we can get a traffic update right.”

De Groot said of the last ten years:

“It’s been the most unique ‘news’ role in the industry, where on one hand you cover the main stories each day, and on the other your car is wrapped in gladwrap while you’re at your desk.

 In the eleven years with Fitzy & Wippa, they’ve created un-real moments, with sole purpose of amusing themselves. Nearly being arrested chasing Meghan Markle with a huge bouquet of flowers, then shaking Prince Harry‘s was a high point while arriving home one day and having my entire apartment cleared out and re-setup at Manly Warf in Sydney was probably the lowlight.

“I will miss this team and the show that’s changed my life, but I’m so excited to support my wife in London and sleep in a little bit.”  

The hunt (and considering this is Fitzy, Wippa and Kate Richie it is quite possibly literally a hunt) for the right person to replace De Groot in 2024 has begun. You can listen to the podcast to hear Matt’s announcement and the lovely responses from listeners.

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