TLDR
Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little confirmed on air that their Hit Network national drive show will end on 11 December 2026, closing a run of nearly a decade. Bickmore is reported to be heading to ARN, where Will & Woody are also departing KIIS by year's end, leaving two national drive slots open at once.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The announcement
Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little told listeners on 21 October that their national Hit Network drive show is finishing this year, with the final show on Friday 11 December.[1][2] Little was blunt about it: "It's certainly not how I wanted it to end. I love this job, and I would have kept doing it for a long time."[1]
Bickmore said: "After nearly 10 years of doing this amazing show, the Carrie and Tommy show is coming to an end. I've loved every minute of doing the show." Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) head of broadcast content Matthew O'Reilly told staff in an internal email that "Carrie & Tommy will conclude their impressive run this year," pointing to listener trips, fundraising, the annual Roast and the Mystery Bus tours.[1]
Nearly a decade on air
The pair joined SCA from Nova in January 2017. In the latest survey the show averaged about 125,000 listeners across the five capital cities, which made it the third most-listened-to network show on Australian radio, behind Nova's Fitzy and Wippa in national drive and Christian O'Connell on ARN's Gold breakfast in Sydney and Melbourne.[2] SCA will name its 2027 Hit Network drive show at its upfront in Sydney on Thursday 22 October.[2]
Two national drive slots open at once
SCA is not the only network rebuilding drive. ARN confirmed in September that Will McMahon and Woody Whitelaw will finish their KIIS drive show at the end of 2026 after eight years, with what it called a "refreshed approach to national Drive in 2027".[3] Mediaweek reported the same month, citing multiple sources, that Bickmore was set to leave SCA for ARN's national drive role. Neither ARN nor SCA has confirmed that move, and it is unclear whether Little would go with her.[4]
For advertisers, that means the two biggest commercial networks will both put new national drive line-ups in front of buyers for 2027, with SCA showing its hand at Thursday's upfront and ARN's plan still unannounced. A show built on a decade-long double act does not transfer its audience automatically, and the first ratings surveys of 2027 will show how much of that 125,000 follows the hosts rather than the frequency.
SOURCES & CITATIONS
- 'Not how I wanted it to end': Carrie and Tommy confirm Hit exit (Mediaweek, 21 Oct 2026)
- Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little to depart SCA after 10 years in drive (Mumbrella, 21 Oct 2026)
- Carrie Bickmore tipped for KIIS Drive after Will & Woody exit (Variety Australia, 10 Sep 2026)
- Carrie Bickmore set to leave SCA for ARN national drive role (Mediaweek, 10 Sep 2026)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When is the last Carrie and Tommy drive show?
Where is Carrie Bickmore going after SCA?
How long did Carrie and Tommy host the Hit Network drive show?
James Dore is founder and editor of Prompt the Market and Strategy Director at Bushnote, a Sydney strategy, SEO and AI search agency. He has a background in strategy, media and financial services, and led consumer product marketing at MONEYME. He writes on AI search, answer engines, technology policy and media economics.
