92.9 Triple M Perth has re-signed breakfast duo Xavier Ellis and Katie Lamb to a multi-year deal, a move that secures the station’s strong breakfast show, while also backing Lamb as she steps into maternity leave.
The contract extension follows a standout year for Xav & Katie, which launched in 2024 and delivered a 13.4% share, the highest breakfast result on the 92.9 frequency since 2010.
Weekly audience numbers have climbed by 41,000 to reach 239,000, with the program holding the top spot among people 25–54 and men 25–54, according to the most recent radio ratings.
Group content director for Southern Cross Austereo (SCA0 Perth, James Speed, said the show’s growth reflects the pair’s strong chemistry, which has quickly established them as a market leader.
Hit92.9 breakfast show host Xavier Ellis
Supporting a smooth transition to motherhood
Lamb will be on parental leave in 2026, with Dani Shuey joining Ellis during her absence. Ellis told Mediaweek that SCA’s approach has been both supportive and reassuring.
“Katie’s on maternity leave at the moment and off discovering the wonderful world of being a mother,” Ellis said. “It’s fantastic by the company to support the show and also back a mum when, you know, there’s always some insecurities when you go off to be a loving mother.
“For Southern Cross Austereo to see fit to we can keep this friendship and bond alive, and also just for our own peace of mind, the security really helps Katie to go and be the best mum she can be and enjoy those sleepless nights and the raging gastrovirus that rips through young kids,” he laughed.
“I’m sure that, you know, she’ll be thrilled to get back to Triple M when she can, but at the moment, her sole focus, as it should be, is on motherhood and the company has done a wonderful thing to take a little bit of weight off her shoulders.”
He’s not wrong.
A recent survey from a not-for-profit group, The Village, found that 70% of those surveyed have left or considered leaving the media industry.
That’s not all, over a quarter of those surveyed would not recommend the industry as a parent-friendly career option.
At the time, the group’s co-founder Lauren Thornborough told Mediaweek that while the survey took both sexes into consideration, new mothers seem most impacted.
“You have a crisis of confidence when you return from maternity leave,” Thornborough says. “No one comes to you and says, ‘Hello, you’re in a new life phase. What will work for you when you return to work?’ You have to advocate for yourself, which can be difficult when you’re nervous or unsure.”
Lamb and Ellis goofing around on her last day
Growth for Triple M Perth
Ellis also reflected on the long-term brand building that has taken place since Triple M replaced Hit 92.9 in Perth.
“At Triple M, we’ve gone through a tumultuous time, early days when we did flick over from Hit 929 and it’s certainly been a slow build for the Triple M brand here in Perth, but it’s good to see some reward in the last survey book,” he said.
“We’ve got a large audience that follow us and a large male audience and a growing female audience, and we just thoroughly enjoy the people we have on air with us regularly. They make us laugh, and I’m glad they might find some enjoyment out of Katie and I.”
Locked in for the long term … and a very specific alarm time
On the new contract, Ellis said, “Outstanding. To be honest with you, it’s good to be with the Triple M family for a few more years… it’s great to be locked in for a few years and to be able to wake up and have a laugh with the people I enjoy spending so much time with. I just love being in Perth.”
He also revealed his very deliberate, and oddly precise, approach to breakfast radio mornings.
“I’m used to the 4.23 alarm. I figure that I can get to work by 4.35, I’ll be in the shower by 4.40, and I’ll be in the meeting at 5 o’clock… if my alarm was set at 4.20, I’m three minutes short a morning, that’s 15 minutes a week, an hour a month, a day a year. So there you go. This is a thought-out plan.”
We’ll just have to take his word on that.