Food guru Matt Preston has decided to hang up his headphones at ABC Melbourne to spend more time with his family while pursuing projects outside of radio.
The former MasterChef Australia judge, 63, has been a presenter of the station’s popular Saturday morning show for the past three years.
ABC stalwart Jacinta Parsons will take on the role after Preston’s final show on December 14.
“It’s a big commitment and the woman I love would like her husband to spend the weekends again,” she told Herald of the sun on Saturday.
‘(This decision) allows me to do many things that I have not been able to do. It’s time to do the most ridiculous things I now have time to do.
He told the publication that among his personal plans was an ambitious plan to swim from Albania to Corfu, an annual 3km charity crossing.
Food guru Matt Preston (pictured) has decided to hang up his headphones at ABC Melbourne to spend more time with his family while pursuing projects outside of radio, the Herald Sun reported on Saturday.
Matt also revealed that he wanted to attend the Jaipur Literature Festival in India.
Elsewhere in the chat, Matt celebrated his time at the station.
“I’ve spent three incredible years talking about so much more than food,” he began.
“Live (radio) is a totally new skill for me, so it’s been a huge challenge, but I’ve been able to talk to the most amazing variety of people from a completely different selection of worlds, as well as having immediate interaction with listeners. on both the phone line and the text line.’
The radio and television star, who has hosted the ABC show since 2022, added that she would miss doing ‘The Cat and Matt Show,’ a sports segment with Catherine Murphy.
Matt rose to fame on MasterChef Australia after joining the reality show in 2009.
He and fellow hit cooking show judges George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan were booted from the popular cooking show in July 2019.
He married his wife Emma in 1999 after first meeting her in 1993, when the British-born foodie moved to Australia with his ex-partner.
The former MasterChef Australia judge, 63, has been a presenter of the station’s popular Saturday morning show for the past three years. Photographed on MasterChef
Matt has presented ABC Melbourne’s Saturday morning schedule since 2022
The couple share three children: Jonathan, William and Sadie.
It comes as ABC 774 Melbourne announced a major restructure of its on-air talent to 2025 last month.
Media veteran Brigitte Duclos has been moved to the afternoons role currently held by Trevor Chappell.
Taking up the role in the new year, this will be the 60-year-old’s first high-profile gig at the ABC after 30 years in commercial radio, including roles on Triple M, Mix and Gold.
Duclos also worked on television as a presenter on Canal Siete and Canal 10.
Meanwhile, Chappell, 63, was moved to Overnight, which he originally hosted for twenty years between 2003 and 2023.
The show is currently hosted by Michael Pavlich and Rod Quinn.
Funny Charlie Pickering will also be part of ABC 774 Melbourne’s new programming next year.
The comedian will launch as a new weekly one-hour comedy and music show on Fridays, called Thank God It’s Friday.
Additionally, the shake-up will see new schedules for Jacinta Parsons and Brian Nankervis, who will present Saturday morning shows.
Nankervis will take over Alice Zaslavsky’s breakfast show, while Parsons will host Victorian Saturday Mornings in 2025, following current host Matt Preston’s decision to step down.
Meanwhile, fans were devastated when popular presenter Sammy J announced in November he was leaving ABC Radio Melbourne after five years.
Sammy J, who has hosted the ABC Radio Melbourne Breakfast show since before the pandemic, said he is leaving the show with ‘pride’ and gratitude.
“Hosting Melbourne Breakfast was an unexpected opportunity that turned into an unexpected joy,” said Sammy J, whose real name is Samuel Jonathan McMillan.
“But radio demands all of them and deserves nothing less, and after five years I’m ready to trade in the 4:15 a.m. alarm for more regular hours.”
“I leave with pride, gratitude and a litany of money-for-comments scandals that will be revealed in due time.”