Since its inception in 1975, triple j has been renowned for kick-starting the careers of many Australian media personalities.
Whether they were blessing us with the unrivalled knowledge of the Australian music scene (like Zan Rowe), or giving us our daily lols with their cheeky sense of humour (like Matt Okine & Alex Dyson), there’s no doubt that triple j hosts have been an instrumental part of Aussie music culture.
With so many triple j presenters responsible for serving us bangers and brightening up our days over the decades, we’re taking a look a some of our all-time favourite hosts to suss out what they’ve been up to since bidding farewell to the broadcaster.
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Zan Rowe
Zan’s warm nature and infectious love of music made her a long-time triple j fave; the best voice to ease listeners into the weekday.
Although she often hosted alone, her friendship and double act with triple j’s resident scientist Dr. Karl was a highlight of the station’s programming for years.
Since leaving triple j, Rowe has graduated to the more mature double j and is also the ABC’s National Music Correspondent. She also kicked off her Bang On podcast with much-loved former Lunch presenter Myf Warhurst.
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John Safran
While John Safran was initially known for his immersive and outlandish documentary work on TV, it was his addition to the triple j roster that made him a household name.
Famed for his Sunday Night Safran program in which he was teamed up with Father Bob Maguire, Safran’s cheeky humour was a huge hit with the station, with a style that jives with how the station felt back in the ’90s.
Fast forward to more recent times, and Safran has gone on to star in SBS’ The Goddam Election! Special – a show about the impact of religion and race on Australia’s minor political parties back in 2016.
In 2017, the political comedian turned his attention to writing, releasing a non-fiction novel called Depends What You Mean by Extremist.
He’s also set to release another book at the end of this month titled Puff Piece, which is a probing look into Big Tobacco and the vaping industry, and “how words can be literally a matter of life and death.”
Adam Spencer & Wil Anderson
Adam Spencer & Wil Anderson were undoubtedly two of the most beloved presenters on triple j, thanks to their equally highbrow and lowbrow sense of humour.
Famous for their highly irreverent nature and their legendary ability to improvise, the duo can’t be spoken about without their legendary attempt to troll the Hottest 100 being mentioned.
Since then the duo have been busy, with Wil Anderson becoming a radio regular with a subsequent hosting role on Triple M drive with Lehmo and then at Melbourne’s Triple M breakfast, replacing Mick Molloy and sitting alongside Eddie McGuire and Luke Darcy. Anderson stepped away from Triple M at the end of 2019.
Following triple j, Adam Spencer went on to ABC Sydney radio station 702 and in December 2013 he called an end to eight years on the ABC airwaves.
He’s also since dabbled in numerous television roles, hosting everything from the science show Quantum to poker championships, to appearing on the weekly sports review The Back Page and ABC news and current affairs wrap, The Drum.
Matt & Alex
Matt Okine and Alex Dyson fast became fan favourites with their hilarious breakfast banter when they joined forces in 2014, famously exiting their hosting roles in 2016 with the already-iconic “pack ‘er up boys” skit.
Dyson had started presenting at triple j in 2007 at age 18, cutting his teeth on Mid Dawns, then Weekend Breakfast before moving into the coveted triple j breakfast spot, alongside then co-host Tom Ballard.
In 2014, after winning best newcomer at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Okine joined Dyson on triple j Breakfast.
Now, the boys are back with their very own podcast series, All Day Breakfast with Matt and Alex, which is “your daily omelette of delicious audio content, whenever you feel like eating it. Chunks of news, alongside finely sliced interviews and the occasional sprig of talkback, are all chucked into a bowl of expertly whisked comedy, before being poured into the frying pan of your ears.”
Nina Las Vegas
Back in 2004 when Nina Las Vegas started at triple j, dance music was nowhere near the dominant genre it is today.
Through the House Party show — which she hosted from 2009 — she helped build the genre’s reputation and launched the careers of numerous local and international artists, work she has continued since leaving the station in 2015, through her own record label – NLV Records.
2021 seen her label NLV Records roll into its sixth year and her business expand to both artist management and A&R services, curation and creative partnerships.
Myf Warhurst
One of Australia’s favourite TV and radio personalities, Myf started as editor of street press Inpress, before hosting bi-weekly segments for Merrick and Rosso’s Drive show in 2000, which saw her profile soar.
In 2002, Warhurst started hosting the Saturday night request show The Net 50, before moving to Lunch the following year. In 2007 she joined Jay and the Doctor on Breakfast, before leaving the station for commercial radio later that year.
In 2017, Warhurst, along with Joel Creasey, was announced as one of Australia’s commentators for the Eurovision Song Contest, and she also has appeared as a guest quizmaster on Have You Been Paying Attention?.
In 2018, she started voicing various characters in the kids’ show Bluey, and in January 2020, Warhurst participated in the sixth season of the Australian version of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!
Judith Lucy
The Ladies Lounge was a show hosted by Helen Razer and Judith Lucy and despite only being around for a year, was loved by listeners.
Following her stint on the triple j, Judith went on to take on more radio roles, such as The Friday Shout with Peter Rowsthorn in 2003, The Judith Lucy Show with Peter Helliar in 2004 and The Arvo with Peter Helliar in 2005.
She also has enjoyed several roles on television – including resuming her role as the “voice of reason” on Rove McManus’ briefly revised show on Network Ten, Saturday Night Rove.
Judith has also made a name for herself as a best-selling author, with her latest book Turns Out, I’m Fine released in April this year.
Robbie Buck
Having first joined triple j in the late ’90s, Robbie Buck became a favourite of listeners thanks to his laid back presenting style, and versatility.
Famed for the moment when he played the wrong Led Zeppelin song in a Hottest 100 Of All Time countdown, Buck stuck around with the station until 2009, but not before spending two years on the Breakfast shift with Marieke Hardy and Lindsay McDougall.
These days, Robbie has since joined forces with fellow radio veteran Wendy Harmer to bring you local stories, news, traffic and weather, every weekday on ABC Radio.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzE7dgKDfUE
Catriona Rowntree
The same year she became a host at triple j in 1994, Catriona also became host of a Nine Network children’s show, What’s Up Doc? where she went on to become the show’s writer/producer.
In 1996, Rowntree became a reporter on travel series Getaway and appeared on Nine’s Sydney New Year’s Eve telecast alongside Richard Wilkins.
In 2006 she wrote a travel book, Catriona’s Australia: My Favourite Aussie Locations, and in 2009 and 2010 she was appointed as MC at the Pas de Deux in Paradise production by The Australian Ballet at Qualia on Hamilton Island.
