After almost three decades on air, 92.7 Mix FM Drive host Todd Widdicombe has made the deeply personal decision to step away from radio, revealing on-air that the loss of two loved ones to suicide last year has left him unable to continue.
Earlier this week, the Sunshine Coast station announced Widdicombe would be finishing up, though no reason was initially given.
That changed during yesterday’s program, when a visibly emotional Widdicombe opened up to listeners about the grief and clarity that followed two devastating losses within weeks of each other.
A deeply personal goodbye
With his voice trembling, Widdicombe told his audience: “At the end of September last year, one of my brothers, Joshua, he was 41 and he took his own life, and it broke my heart. And about three weeks later, a really old friend of mine, Marty… he did the same.”
The veteran presenter reflected on the illusion of time, the idea that there’s always another moment, another chance to reach out.
“All we ever do is say, ‘I missed you this time, but I’ll see you next time.’ And then suddenly there is no time. And it’s a really personal thing, and I know that I speak to loads of people when I say this, when we lose people in our lives, My God, how hard is it when they make that choice themselves to leave you and I’m just not I’m not okay. This is way too vulnerable,” he said.
Overcome with emotion, Widdicombe admitted he was no longer able to carry the weight of daily broadcasting while processing such profound grief: “I just can’t keep doing the radio show every single day and giving you my best without actually stopping and going, you know what? In the unlikely event of an emergency, the oxygen masks are falling from the ceiling, and apparently I’m meant to put mine on first.”
His co-host, Sami Muirhead, offered quiet support in response, telling him: “It will be okay, my friend, because you’re brilliant and you’re beautiful, but you’re busted up.”
Todd and Sami.
A long radio career, a new chapter
Widdicombe’s voice has been a constant for listeners across Australia for nearly 30 years. His online bio offers a snapshot of that journey: “27 years traversing this great brown land, on the run from video shops he owes late fees to and wearing out his welcome at multiple radio stations, only stopping down to get married (Cairns) and raise 4 kidlets (Sunny Coast). At 47 he’s still not sure what he wants to be when he grows up.”
His departure adds another layer to the ongoing conversation around mental health in the media industry, and particularly the pressure felt by male broadcasters who are often expected to be “on” at all times, regardless of what they’re carrying privately.
Men’s mental health in the spotlight
The issue of men’s mental health has long been taken seriously by radio networks. Triple M’s annual No Talk Day, now in its seventh year, sees the entire network fall silent from 6am to 6pm, encouraging listeners to reflect, check in with mates, and prioritise their mental wellbeing.
Former Triple M Sydney Breakfast host Gus Worland has championed the issue for years, founding Gotcha4Life in 2017 and fronting the ABC’s Man Up, a documentary series that urged men to open up and redefine resilience.
Suicide remains the 11th leading cause of death for Australian men, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The highest suicide rate among men is in the 55–59 age bracket, with 30.9 deaths per 100,000.
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