Sammy J turns off the microphone after five years hosting ABC Radio Melbourne Breakfast

Sammy J is set to turn off the microphone next month after five years as the host of ABC Radio Melbourne Breakfast.

He began hosting just weeks before the COVID pandemic hit in 2020, becoming a source of fun, information and companionship for locked-down Melbournians.

"Hosting Melbourne Breakfast was an unexpected opportunity that became an unexpected joy,” Sammy J said. "But radio demands all of you and deserves nothing less, and after five years I’m ready to trade the 4:15am alarm for more regular hours."

“I leave with pride, gratitude, and a litany of cash-for-comment scandals that will be revealed in due course."

Sammy J applied his creative thinking to his program and last year completed a 24-hour broadcast to raise money for SecondBite as part of the annual ABC Gives charity appeal.

In October, he wrote and led a skit of all ABC Radio Melbourne presenters for the station’s 100th birthday. As part of his Missing Moments series, Sammy J helped listeners experience the big events cancelled due to Melbourne’s lockdowns.

A prolific songwriter, Sammy J also wrote viral songs to farewell Melbourne’s e-scooters, the Airport Rail Link, Premier Dan Andrews and Captain Cook’s feet, to welcome Taylor Swift and to explain Lord Voldemort’s thoughts on a proposal to build a Harry Potter theme park.

In true Sammy J fashion, he farewelled listeners with a song on this morning’s program with a parody of Part Of Your World from Disney's The Little Mermaid.

Shelley Hadfield, ABC Radio Melbourne acting manager, said Sammy’s quick wit and creative flair had given Melburnians a unique view of the news of the day.

"Sammy has asked the questions we never knew we wanted answered," Hadfield said. "He’s grilled the Prime Minister and the Premier, he broke the news to Melbourne of the Queen’s death, and he’s interviewed musicians, magicians, meatworkers and mathematicians.

"But it’s Sammy’s connection with the audience which has been a hallmark of his time at 774. You only had to see the listeners turn up at the crack of dawn for his outside broadcasts to understand what an impact he has had on people’s lives."

Sammy will present his final Breakfast program on Friday, December 13. Announcements about the 2025 line-up on ABC Radio Melbourne will be made in the coming week.