Ash, Luttsy & Susie Explained

Show Name:Ash, Luttsy & Susie
Format:Comedy
Runtime:180 minutes
Country:Australia
Language:English
Home Station:Nova 106.9 Brisbane
Presenter:Ash Bradnam
Kip Wightman (2005–09; 2011–21)
David "Luttsy" Lutteral
Susie O'Neill (2016–)
Meshel Laurie (2005–09)
Rec Location:Commercial Road, Teneriffe, Queensland
Last Aired:present (except 2009–2011)
Audio Format:Stereo

Ash, Luttsy & Susie O'Neill is an Australian Breakfast radio show made up of Ashley Bradnam, David "Luttsy" Lutteral and Susie O'Neill. It is broadcast on Nova 106.9 Brisbane from 6am to 9am on weekdays. They are the #1 Breakfast radio program in Brisbane, having won all seven radio surveys so far in 2019.[1]

A daily podcast featuring the best bits from each show is available on the Nova Player as is the podcast for all other Nova FM shows in Australia.

History

The show commenced with Nova 106.9's inaugural broadcast on 4 April 2005 starring Meshel Laurie, Ashley Bradnam, David "Luttsy" Lutteral and Kip Wightman. The show disbanded in 2009 with Wightman leaving to join his girlfriend Emileigh in Boston and Bradnam standing down due to personal issues. This eventually led to Laurie fronting a new show, Meshel, Tim and Marty.

The original breakfast show partially reformed in 2011 with Ash and Luttsy rejoining the station, alongside Camilla Severi and Dan Anstey.[2] [3]

In November 2011, it was announced that Kip Wightman would be re-joining the Breakfast show in 2012 to present Ash, Kip and Luttsy.

In May 2016, Susie O'Neill joined the show as co-host.

In October 2021, Kip Wightman resigned from the show after 15 years with the network.[4] [5] Chris “Buzz” Bezzina was later appointed as anchor of the show.

Ange Anderson, the show's long-term newsreader, departed in mid-2023 after twelve years. She was a recipient of the Best Commercial Newsreader (FM) award at the Australian Commercial Radio Awards in 2016 and 2019. Mitch Lewis (son of NRL legend Wally Lewis) is the sports reporter and has been with the show since March 2008, when he joined as an assistant producer. Alicia Foster and Lachlan Sands are the Producers. Brendan Taylor and Chris Buzzina are the show executives.

Controversies

In June 2017, Lutteral made accusations on the show that comedy duo Hamish & Andy had stolen his idea for a show called Cracking Yarns which was used for True Story with Hamish & Andy. Lutteral said that he had shared his idea to Andy Lee three years prior during an encounter in New York City and later began filming a pilot for Channel Nine with co-host Bradnam which was never completed. A spokesman for Nine had denied the claims by Lutteral stating that "the program True Story with Hamish & Andy was conceived, and was in development by Radio Karate, over a year before Andy and Luttsy met in New York."[6] [7] On 8 June 2017 Lutteral apologised on the show over his claims that his idea was stolen. He said on the show "I fully accept now that that was not the case. I’ve now seen the concept document from 2013 developed by Hamish and Andy’s team for True Story. It is clear to me that they had conceived and documented the format for True Story over a year before I met with Andy in New York."[8] [9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Radio ratings: 97.3FM and HIT105 tie for breakfast top spot. Amy. Mitchell-Whittington. 24 April 2018. Brisbane Times.
  2. Web site: Everything old is new again for Nova Brisbane breakfast . 20 April 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110906190926/http://www.mediaspy.org/report/2011/08/29/everything-old-is-new-again-for-nova-brisbane-breakfast/ . 6 September 2011 .
  3. Web site: Dan's the man for Nova - for now. Swanwick. Tristan. 9 September 2011. The Advertiser. The Advertiser. 24 May 2016.
  4. Web site: News. 20 October 2021 ·. 2021-10-20. Kip Wightman leaves Nova after almost two decades. 2021-10-20. RadioInfo Australia. en-US.
  5. Web site: 2021-10-19. Kip Wightman leaves Nova 106.9 Breakfast show. 2021-10-20. Radio Today. en-AU.
  6. Web site: Channel Nine deny claims True Story with Hamish & Andy was a stolen idea. News.com.au. 2017-06-07. 2017-06-08.
  7. Web site: Channel Nine responds to claims Hamish & Andy 'stole' the idea for True Story.. Mamamia. Mamamia Team. 2017-06-06. 2017-06-08.
  8. Web site: Nova host's on-air apology to Amish and Andy. News.com.au. 2017-06-08. 2017-06-08.
  9. Web site: Nova radio host retracts allegation True Story with Hamish & Andy was a stolen idea. Nine.com.au. Aine. Ryan. 2017-06-08. 2017-06-08.