ABC executives have been blindsided by Chris Bath’s shock decision to walk away from her high-profile Drive program less than a year after stepping into the coveted slot.
The veteran broadcaster, 57, stunned listeners on Monday when she revealed live on air that she would not return to the weekday program in 2026, telling fans she had wrestled with the call for weeks.
‘I have decided to leave Drive,’ she announced, confirming she will be replaced by journalist Thomas Oriti.
Industry insiders say Bath’s call took radio bosses completely by surprise, with the popular presenter believed to have informed the network only this month.
The journalist replaced previous ABC Drive host Richard Glover in January.
Bath told listeners on Monday she isn’t leaving ABC completely, revealing she plans to front a new Sunday morning program next year.
ABC executives have been blindsided by Chris Bath’s shock decision to walk away from her high-profile Drive program less than a year after stepping into the coveted slot
It comes just three weeks after it emerged that Bath also left her job as a newsreader at Channel Ten following ten years with the network, and has been replaced by a younger co-star who is more than 20 years her junior
‘As I’m sure you know, timing in life is a funny thing. What the world throws at you is not always under your control,’ she explained on air.
‘Sometimes you’ve just got to go with it. So I have made a very difficult decision. It’s been a really tough one to make, to be honest with you, but I have decided to leave Drive next year.’
It comes just three weeks after it emerged that Bath also left her job as a newsreader at Channel Ten following ten years with the network, and has been replaced by a younger co-star who is more than 20 years her junior.
Insiders claimed Ten decided not to renew her contract as it no longer has the budget to keep her on as a weekend newsreader.
Bath, who has spent seven years as the weekend presenter for 10 News, will be replaced by 34-year-old Georgie Tunny, who was hired by the network in 2022 as a presenter on The Project, news.com.au reported last month.
She joined Ten in 2015 after leaving Seven, initially making regular appearances on Studio 10 and The Project.
She went on to become a regular co-host of The Sunday Project in 2017, but was replaced by Lisa Wilkinson in 2018.
The Project was axed in June due to high production costs, cutting hosts Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris, Steve Price and Hamish Macdonald from the Ten talent pool.
The journalist replaced previous ABC Drive host Richard Glover in January
Bath went on to replace Natarsha Belling as a presenter on 10 News Weekend in December 2018.
She has also recently been hosting a national 90-minute Saturday evening bulletin, a separate Perth bulletin, and a one-hour Sunday evening bulletin for both markets.
Before taking on her role at Ten, Bath enjoyed a lengthy tenure at Seven, landing her first gig with the network in 1996.
During her years there, she worked as a weekend presenter of Seven News in Sydney, as well as host of the current affairs program Sunday Night.
She left Seven on July 27, 2015, and began a ten-year career at Ten shortly after.
