Australia is still coming to grips with having to say goodbye the queen of triple j Drive, Veronica Milsom, but at least now we know who’ll be replacing her as the other half of Veronica and Lewis. And it’s a familiar face!
Friend of the show, comedian Michael Hing, has been given the call-up, and will be stepping into Hot Ron’s shoes from Monday, 24th February.
“I’m really excited to be hosting triple j Drive with Veronica,” Hing gushed about his promotion. “She’s a close friend, a great comedian and someone I’ve always looked up to… wait, Veronica’s the one leaving? So I’m hosting with Lewis? Okay, I guess that’s fine.”
You may remember Hing from such shows as SBS The Feed, the SBS doco series Where Are You Really From? as well as popping up as a reoccurring guest of triple j Drive — not to mention hosting various fill-in shows on triple j, both solo and as part of Hing & Nazeem — and appearing at triple j’s One Night Stand Up.
Oh — and his CV also includes running for the Australian Senate.
On the process of choosing a new co-host, Lewis added: “I only had one demand for Veronica’s replacement: find me someone who has run for the Australian senate AND been nominated for Bachelor of the Year. If I knew that meant I’d end up with Michael Hing I would’ve made a different demand. But here we are.”
ICYMI: Ron announced her departure from triple J in an emotional speech last week, revealing she would not be returning following the birth of her second baby.
“When I have my baby, I’m actually not going to be coming back to work at a triple j, which was a really tough decision to make because I really love working here,” she explained.
“I’ll really miss triple j, but I’m excited about the advertising opportunities once I leave. Sometimes I wonder if collaborating with a major sporting brand will feel disgusting and shameless, but my gut says Just Do It,” she continued, before turning her attention to her co-host.
“The impact Lewis has had on me will be everlasting. Literally, his name is tattooed on me. I’ll never forget him, even if I wanted to,” sh concluded.
Veronica first appeared on triple j mid-dawns in 2011, closely followed by a stint on Weekend Brekkie, then Weekend Arvos, before settling into triple j Drive where she’s been making listeners giggle since 2015.
Her final day of work will be Friday, 21st February.
