Gold FM has finally confirmed it is axing the Jo & Lehmo show, despite the Melbourne radio duo securing the station's best ever breakfast results in a decade.
Last week ARN was remaining tight-lipped about the show's future, but on Monday it was revealed Jo Stanley and Anthony Lehmann will be hanging up the headphones at the end of the year.
ARN's national content director Duncan Campbell thanked the duo for their service in a statement.
"Jo and Lehmo are professional, talented and entertaining broadcasters who have made a significant contribution to GOLD 104.3 over their time with the station," he said. "Jo & Lehmo will remain on air until the end of 2017, with further details of the plans for GOLD 104.3 to be announced shortly."
Last week's radio ratings saw Jo and Lehmo snap up an 8.4 per cent share of the Melbourne breakfast market, 0.3 points ahead of their Fox FM rivals Fifi, Fev and Byron.
When ARN took to social media to celebrate the network's results across the board, Jo and Lehmo were mysteriously left out of the tweet prompting Lehmo to help them out with a picture of the pair.
you mustn't have a photo of us on file. Here you go. It's the best result for gold 104.3 breakfast in over ten years pic.twitter.com/S6CmqtUe0J??? lehmo (@lehmo23)
This year has been among Lehmo's strongest year at Gold FM ratings-wise. The comedian has been with Gold for about six years, with co-host Jo coming onboard at the start of 2016.
Lehmo recently published a book and also guest-hosts The Project. Stanley, meanwhile, has also co-hosted The Project and filled in on Ten's breakfast show Studio 10.
The duo said in a statement they were disappointed about leaving Gold, but were grateful for the opportunities the station gave them.
"We are disappointed as we love our audience, we love GOLD 104.3, and we love our team," the statement read. "We have both worked incredibly hard and the show's ratings have grown consistently, culminating in becoming Melbourne's number one FM breakfast show in the latest survey.
"We have a great friendship, have enjoyed working together over the past two years and will miss our listeners. Sadly, this is a crazy business and these things happen."
The second half of 2017 has seen a lot of change at ARN, the network responsible for KIIS and Gold FM. The company lost drive presenters Hughsey and Kate to the Hit Network, and also decided to replace Meshel Laurie and Matt Tilley with up-and-comers Jason Hawkins and Polly Harding.
Taking over from Hughsey and Kate on KIIS will be Perth presenters Will McMahon and Woody Whitelaw. The reshuffles have left some in the radio industry scratching their heads.
But ARN says the programming refresh is all part of a long term strategy.
