More FM’s Simon Barnett has announced he will not be renewing his contract with station owner MediaWorks and will be leaving his breakfast show with co-host Gary McCormick at the end of 2018.
Barnett will be leaving breakfast and music radio entirely to take up a position as a host on Newstalk ZB, he confirmed in a statement released today.
“After 20 years as Breakfast host I have decided not to renew my contract with More FM and MediaWorks. I am contracted until the end of 2018 and over the remaining 18 months, I will give it my absolute all,” he said.
“In 2019, I will be taking up a non breakfast position as host on Newstalk ZB. I have spoken personally with Gary, Bondy, Speedy and Sam and MediaWorks management, in all of these conversations, without exception, those most affected have been most gracious. I loathe letting people down or hurting people which has made this experience awfully difficult as the people concerned are not just my workmates but genuine friends who I will miss desperately.”
Simon has been part of the More FM Breakfast Show since 1997.
The radio star went on to say that there was no “smoking gun” behind his decision to leave and after more than two decades in the business of breakfast radio, he was keen to leave the early morning starts behind him.
“I have done breakfast radio for 26 years and I just do not have the inclination, desire and passion to keep going beyond the end of 2018. I find getting up at 4.30am every morning less and less palatable and even though I am quite possibly the world’s most boring person I would like to have a social life again.
“Some of you will be wondering why the announcement now, 18 months out? Again it is simple, to allow MediaWorks the greatest amount of time to find my replacement which I have no doubt they will do very successfully.
“I am enormously grateful to all the team at More. I don’t say that lightly. More FM is a real team and every single person is doing their utmost to perform, I was a part of that team for 20 years and I am enormously thankful to be there.”
Barnett has been part of the breakfast show for More FM since 1997. Over the course of his career, he has picked up two NZ Radio Awards (one for his earlier co-hosting gig alongside Phil Gifford, and one in 2015 for his show with McCormick).
He’s also dipped his toes into the television pool, competing on and winning the sixth season of Dancing With The Stars in 2015 and coming in at second place on Celebrity Treasure Island in 2004.
