Triple J’s Tom Ballard quits

Tom Ballard has quit his job as host at triple j, announcing he will focus on stand-up and sleeping.

24-year-old Ballard began his tenure with the networked station at just 17 before he began co-hosting the breakfast show with Alex Dyson at 20. According to the press release, Ballard ends his run at triple j after 1,172 shows to focus on comedy full-time.

The final Tom & Alex show will be broadcast live from Sydney’s Metro Theatre on Friday December 13. Alex Dyson’s new co-host for 2014 will be revealed next Tuesday (December 3).

The pair’s album The Bits We’re Least Ashamed Of is up for the Best Comedy Release ARIA this Sunday.

Read Ballard’s full farewell message below:

Hey guys! Bit of a crazy day: this morning Alex and I announced that Friday December 13th is going to be my last show on triple j breakfast.

Doing this show for the past four years (and Weekend Breakfast and mid-dawns and fill-ins before that) has been hands down the highlight of my professional life, even beating out that time I did stand up at 11am on The Circle.

For the past four years I’ve been paid to wake up with one of my best friends in the whole world, talk shit, wear zentai suits, laugh at my dad, drink instant coffee and play good music. It’s been the sweetest of gigs, but I feel like now’s the right time for me to try new things, focus on my high-brow and searing stand up (i.e. dick jokes) and endeavour to annoy Australia via other mediums.

Plus I always said that if Melissa Doyle was no longer on my breakfast TV screen, I’d have no choice but to quit.

I’ve loved this station dearly since I was a nerdy teenager growing up in Warrnambool, and the fact that I’ve been lucky enough to have a job here still blows my mind. I’ll always love this place and my treasured triple j family, just as I’ll always love my co-host and life-partner Alexander Dyson, particularly when he does things like this:

How can you not love that crazy cat?

I also need to specially thank our amazing producer Lolly Lollback, Program Directors Ollie Wards and Meagan Loader, Manager Chris Scaddan, assistant producer Jonno Harrison and former producer Amelia Chappelow for all their hard work, love and friendship.

It has to be said, though: undoubtedly the best part of working at triple j is getting to connect with the hilarious, loving, passionate, crazy, whip-smart listeners like you. I can’t thank you all enough for tuning in every day and indulging me and joining in on the fun for so long: you’ve made a kewl dude and his tall man-chub very happy.

(By the way, I’m not going to commercial radio. Not due to integrity or anything, there just haven’t been any offers. Call me!)

All the details about who will be joining Alex on the show for 2014 will be with you next Tuesday December 3rd. I’m so excited for the new show – I guarantee you it’s going to be awesome – and I hope you can join us for my final show in a couple of weeks. We’re planning way cool shit, I promise.

If you’re interested, I’ve written a bit of a longer, even MORE self-indulgent piece on my personal blog about this big change. I’d love you to check it out if you’ve got the time.

Also I’m going to shamelessly plug our ARIA-nominated CD, The Bits We’re Least Ashamed Of, because I can and because I think we can all agree I’ll need all the money I can get next year.

Pretty sure that’s all I’ve got for you for now. I’d say it’s now time for me to “zip” but I’m worried it’ll make me sound like a dickhead.

Thanks again for everything!

Much love,

Tom xx