Jess & Ducko - Hit Breakfast - BONUS | Ducko's got an announcement...

Episode Date: November 11, 2025

We are excited for Ducko and his next adventure!Subscribe on LiSTNR: https://play.listnr.com/podcast/nick-jess-and-duckoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jess and Ducko Ducko Ducco Yep What's going on man Okay Well I've been teasing this for a while

I wasn't going to run anything down But then I was thinking about it last night About how I wanted to say this And so I did write something down There is no easy way to say this I'll just come right out and say it But this will be my last year On the Jess and Ducco show

This has been my last year on hit And this will be my last year Living in Newcastle And my time here We'll wrap up when the show finishes On December 19th Don't want I'm not getting fired

I'm not getting walked. It's not the company. The company wanted me to stay. Nothing to do with that. This is all my own decision. This wasn't an easy decision and it's one that's kept me up a lot at night in recent weeks. But in this industry, it's not often, if at all, that you get an opportunity. That is just too good to pass up.

And sometimes these opportunities come when you least expect it. It'll all come out in the coming weeks as to where I'm going and what I'm doing. But this was a decision I made professionally, but ultimately and mainly for my family. I know there'll be lots of shock people. lots of shocked rice cookers out there hearing this and our core listeners and I'm sorry to you know to bring this news to you as I said sometimes these things happen when you're least expecting it and not looking forward to it I moved to Newey and joined this show before COVID even existed not knowing a single person in the town when I was 27 years old

not married with no kids and I'll walk away mid 30s married with a beautiful daughter and I made friends for life da damn it Um, ah, damn it, don't. Don't get emotional. It's been an honour. It's been, uh, it's been an honour and a privilege to do this show. And, uh, damn it, I really don't want to get emotional. Why? This is huge, man. I wanted to get this out. To do this show to the people, the amazing people of New South Wales and to do it with my best mate.

Um, the world can be a grim place and lots of people are doing it tough. So nothing makes me happier than putting on a smile on people's faces. And being a voice that they can trust every day. Bah, damn it. This town has, um, has absolutely welcomed me with open arms. And embrace me, even though I'm a dirty Bronco supporting Queensland. Put the pineapple on everything.

It puts pineapple on everything. It has gut issues. I've grown so much here as a person and professionally. And it's a place that will always be my second home and a place that will stay with me forever. And I do really want to thank everyone. Oh, shut. Stop it, daco, stop it. I truly love what I do.

I love this place. I love who I do it with. We've done so many amazing things in my time here from putting hundreds of people in an ocean bath and making a human whirlpool, going on my own hen's party and learning to pole dance, taking mums out on the town and getting wild, running up the iconic merry-weather stairs for an hour

to raise money for men's mental health and finding out that I have little to no sperm live on the radio and going through a full fertility journey and then having the birth of my daughter flow. As I said, I've grown so much here, and I want to thank each and every person that has welcomed me, supported me, and listened to my weird and wacky ways and stories and embraced me like their own.

This was a decision, as I said, I made for my family, and as you can hear, it probably wasn't, you know, an easy one for me to make. It's not as if I was unhappy. I love this show and I love this team, and I love what we do. And I think we punch well above our weight and everything that we do. with what we have.

And look, I'll be here till the end. I think we've got five or six more weeks, December 19. Yeah, like, to the team, thank you so much. You guys have known it now for a few weeks, and this has been a really difficult time. You know, Babs, you know, it's been great watching you grow. There'll be farewells, like, I'm not leaving right now, and I'll be here for the rest.

But, yeah, like, Babs, it's been great watching you grow, and it's been a pleasure to see you do your thing. To the Shire Lord, you know, the show took an upward turn, certainly, an upward trajectory when you joined. Thank you. It's been an honour working with you for the last two years. It's been amazing working with you. And, you know, always proud of you and what you do. And this is something you can't pass up. Thank you, mate. I understand.

And, uh, oh, yeah, too. Come on, you need it. Come on. This is probably the hardest for, uh, for Jess, for you, for me, for us. And, uh, it's not something that I was. you know, thinking would happen. As we said, opportunities happen. But thank you for being so supportive through this and understanding. I would like that.

It's been some of the hardest conversations I've ever had to have with you with the last couple of weeks. And ultimately, you know, you made it easy for me to not be clouded and to make this decision. You know, I love you, as a friend, as a broadcaster, as a colleague. But, um, and I love what we do. And, you know, we have such a good time. Such a good time. So much fun.

And we've had such a good time for, since the minute, I still remember picking you up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I still remember picking you up from where they'd put you up at the ridges. And you got in the car and you're wearing a bright party shirt. I still remember it was like a kind of coral pink. and we went for a drink before we're meeting the wider team for dinner. And I just remember going, this is special.

Yeah, yeah. We're going to have a good time. We're going to have a laugh. I remember that so clearly because when people come into your life, what do they say? They're friends for a reason, friends for a season, friends for life. And I think I knew pretty early on. Well, I thought I knew pretty early on.

Yeah. We were in this for life. and I saw a rosy future with you. Yeah, totally. And it's been... And this D-Tour is amazing. It's been, yeah. It's incredible.

And I'm just gutted for myself. Of course, yeah. For our team, for hit New South Wales. For the people. Yeah. And like I said, like, yeah, unfortunately, these opportunities come when you're not expecting or looking and you don't get many in this industry. And for you to respect that and to understand that.

And to not make it harder at all. No. Understandably. I'm not crying your face. It has been some tough days. It certainly has. And as I said, there's been some really tough nights. And the fact that even with this opportunity coming to me, I still wanted to stay or was

even considering it stuff, you know, just speaks volumes of you and us and his team. And as you said, like, you are a friend for life. And we've had so much fun together. I'm so proud with what we've done. I'm so proud of how far we've grown. On similar trajectories, too, getting married a similar time, albeit my wedding got canceled a couple of times. And yours was in vogue. Great, buddy.

Content, though. To the kids' story, albeit I had to have no sperm and had to go about a different route. But we do, yeah, we get there. Great content there. It always seems to be the way. But, you know. Our lives, we've interwoven. Yeah.

We've into woven. And I think good chemistry is something that you can't manufacture and something that is real. True friendship. And that's one of the greatest compliments we receive. People who meet us out and about or people who engage with us online say, oh, you guys are actually friends. It's not an act. Okay, you'd had acting in your past, but we're not actors. been acts for movies and stuff.

They're not good acting. This is real. Yeah. This is real life, real friendship, real relationship, real care, real support. And that's why we're able to have such a good time. It is. And look, look, I've still got another five weeks here and we'll see at the end of the year and we'll have a lot of fun doing it. And I just want to enjoy the rest of the time I have here and with this team and in this amazing town.

And I'm going to miss it. What? You're going to have such a crap time. Like, when you leave us. You know, like having a child at a place is just... Oh, the roots, the roots you put down, of course. So anyway, as I said, this is very much a family decision. And, yeah, we'll come out about that later.

But I just wanted to get everyone across it. I wanted to get the rice cookers across it, get the people across it. I feel like I'm yoker breaking up the band, you know. It feels a bit that way. And it's been really tough, you know, coming to work every day. And I feel like I'm hearing the people that I love. But as I said, you guys have been amazing. I appreciate it, and I just want to rip and tear for the end of the year and enjoy it.

And I've also got a colonise me on Friday, which is just bad timing. Now, you know what you deserve a colonoscopy. Those test results come back okay because they'd be just up my wheelhouse for it, not too. They absolutely will. Look, yeah. It just sucks. Yeah, look, it's hard. It's really tricky.

This is the nature of the beast of the game we work in, and people forget that. They hear us and hear the show and forget that. We are also people outside of this with families. and lives and got to look after ourselves and our team around us. But, you know, I love you all. You guys know that. I love the listeners. A lot of people have embraced me.

I love this place. It'll always be a part of me and always be a second home. So, you know, it's, it's, it's, uh, it's farewell for now, but not goodbye forever. That's right. And certainly not goodbye right now. We've got a lot more fun to have and we're going to ease everyone into Christmas. We're going to ring every ounce of joy and fun and humor and. And love and laughter.

Yes. To send you off with a bang. And I should say, Jess, Shagai Bab's going nowhere. You guys are all still going to be here. I will be replaced. The wheels will keep spinning. Life will go on. The show will be fantastic.

You know what I mean? It'll just be different. And difference is not always bad. Changes as good as a holiday sometimes. We'll be sending you photos and videos every day of all the fun we're having. How much you miss us? Obviously. And I will miss you guys a lot.

And I have you all. to thank for, you know, my development as well, professionally and creatively as person. So, yes, that is that. I'm glad it's out there. And, uh, here's 10. Here's 12. Well said, Charlotte. The consummate professional. What does he always say? The show must come up. Jess and Daco.