Last Thursday, at the inaugural Australian Audio Awards, ABC Radio Adelaide‘s breakfast duo of Sonya and Jules, Sonya Feldhoff and Jules Schiller, were awarded Best Breakfast Show in the large market category.
It would have chuffed James Valentine, whose public memorial was held the following day, to know that he had a hand in bringing this duo together.
Sonya is up to 36 years in radio, 19 with the ABC, and Jules 33 and 9 respectively. The pair had worked across each other, Sonya on Afternoons and Jules on Drive, since Jules joined the ABC at the start of 2017.
One day Jules was in an ABC meeting of some description alongside Richard Glover. Richard spoke of the utter joy he and ABC Sydney listeners got in the chats he would have with James Valentine as James wrapped afternoons and Richard came in for Drive. They weren’t workshopped or made to fit a certain topical box, it was just two men who became the closest of friends shooting the breeze as friends do.
Jules decided he would try the same. He and Sonya got along famously and so when their respective timetables got shuffled, Jules also thought it would be a whole lot easier to share the extra half hour he’d somehow gained, so Off The Cuff was born.
Working off the cuff was already a concept Jules was well familiar with. He’d started in community radio, on 3RRR alongside his school mate Tony Moclair (who is now on 3AW Afternoons).
Jules told me this wonderful story of witnessing a group of people making radio in 3RRR for the first time and it being like a lightbulb and fireworks went off inside him in that radio was what he was meant to do. He could even remember what everyone was wearing that day!
Jules, Tony and another mate Chris Hatzis hosted the Breakfasters on 3RRR for a long time. Chris is important to this tale as his last name was purloined for Tony and Jules’ mad creation Guido Hatzis. Don’t know the unbelievably good looking Greek Adonis Guido? An introduction below:
I did ask Sonya and Jules whether Guido ever called into their show – but apparently not, yet.
Jules has worked across radio and television as a comedian and has a penchant for karaoke. Nothing phases him.
Sonya is the multi-talented journalist, newsreader, producer and announcer who has also worked across commercial and public broadcasters and who had, until recently, let her voice be the star and her face remain anonymous.
She is the cool, calm and collected to Jules’s cabaret. Mostly.
The two clicked immediately and before long Off the Cuff became destination listening.
At the end of 2023 Stacey Lee shared she was leaving ABC Adelaide breakfast to join FIVEaa. Her co-host Nikolai Beilharz shifted to Jules’s Drive spot (he’s the one being serenaded in Jules’ video above and looking SO impressed about it!) and Sonya and Jules were announced to be taking over breakfast, together.
Sonya said at the time:
“Doing Off the Cuff with Jules over the past few years has been one of the big joys of my work life.
I’m looking forward to bringing that fun and heart to the other end of the day, along with all that makes Adelaide tick and the listeners who are already part of our Off the Cuff family.”
With Jules adding:
“My spontaneous and unplanned half hour with Sonya and listeners has always been the highlight of my day. I’ve always wished it could go for longer. And now it can!
I can honestly say I’ll get up each morning with a smile on my face knowing Sonya and I can have the conversations that matter to Adelaide. And in a double bonus, I now have the afternoons free for Sonya to finally teach me to drive a manual.”
Their first survey together was tough, dropping from second to fifth in the city. But in the two years since they have gained ground and, in the most recent GfK Survey 2 were second again behind Triple M who has been No 1 in Adelaide all that time. With the ABC struggling in many metro markets, in terms of audience percentages, Sonya and Jules are the most successful ABC breakfast show in a capital city with the exception of Canberra.
Yes, their audience is largely the over 50s, but the most funny, naughty and interactive community you could imagine. Now that Off the Cuff has gone, it has been replaced by the 5:30 club and a half hour of really, really loose talkback radio. The day we chatted someone had called in about their prized souvenir – a set of silver dangling testicles. It’s rogue and the duo’s favourite way to start the day.
I have to also mention breakfast show producer Eliza Kirsch who has been doing that role for 20 years and who Sonya and Jules both wanted to make sure was acknowledged for her brilliance and contribution.
In June 2024 Eliza was the project lead as Sonya and Jules took their show to the Paris Olympics. Sonya said that she has never worked so hard. Across the two weeks and with precious little sleep Sonya and Jules brought the experience of France and the Games to listeners all over Australia, wrangling interviews with the Paris Mayor in their hotel room and doing vox pops with all sorts of people wherever they went. It was a huge responsibility and the experience memorable and further evidence that good things can happen if you work hard and seize opportunities. I remember at the time that they made me feel like I was there with them too.
More recently, there has been a push to increase the social media content and that is where the connection between Sonya, Jules and their audience has shone. Plus, all of a sudden Sonya is getting recognised in the supermarket.
Here’s the team on their favourite animals, with a little insight to their own personalities:
After the awards were announced I’d particularly wanted to find Sonya for a chat, rounding her up much the same as the beloved canines mentioned above. What was memorable once I’d nabbed her was that her first reaction was joy to have this recognition for Adelaide and their family of listeners.
Jules was the same, saying:
“It is the basis on which we do our entire show. Adelaide has a proud radio history. Radio is where we connect the most.”
Sonya added:
“We are one of the main outlets that can tackle the local stories. It’s a different focus. Adelaide is unashamedly Adelaide.”
They have each other’s backs and work off ‘what are the kind of questions that I need answered in this situation?’ I like how it sounds, and feels. Their time spent listening is, not surprisingly, high – it’s now about getting more of those switch the dial listeners to invest again in the Adelaide ABC.
May I suggest starting with the 530 Club to really get a feel for the community? No silver body part souvenirs required.
Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo. Email: [email protected]
Pictured main L-R: Jules Schiller, Dean Buchanan and Sonya Feldhoff at the Australian Audio Awards receiving Best Breakfast Show in a large market.
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