ARN confirmed Carrie Bickmore will join the KIIS Network as the new national Drive host for 2027 during the company’s Upfront27 event in Sydney on Wednesday.
Bickmore will host Carrie for the Drive Home. The program airs nationally from 3pm to 6pm starting in January.
This follows months of speculation about her leaving the Hit Network. She spent nearly a decade there as a presenter.
Carrie Bickmore has sealed a high-profile move to host drive on KIIS FM, as footy heavyweights Eddie McGuire and James Hird join forces for an all-new podcast venture. > https://t.co/TLX8xzmSjq pic.twitter.com/zzWHaMW63f
The new show replaces the afternoon program hosted by Will McMahon and Woody Whitelaw. They will leave KIIS at the end of 2026 after eight years on the station.
KIIS Network Changes the Afternoon Schedule
Comedian Bron Lewis is the first confirmed co-host. He will join Bickmore each week, including on Fridays.
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Bickmore will not have a single permanent co-host. ARN said the show will feature “real, raw and hilarious conversations,” but the company has not announced other guest co-hosts.
Kent ‘Smallzy’ Small will move into the “all-important late Drive slot” from 6pm to 9pm. The Smallzy Show will also expand to more KIIS Network stations in 2027.
Details of Carrie Bickmore's new KIIS FM gig finally confirmed as she says goodbye to Tommy Little and signs up with new co-host Bron Lewis https://t.co/LDH1DkLBG5
Bickmore’s appointment completes a major overhaul of the KIIS lineup:
| Show / Slot | Talent |
|---|---|
| KIIS Breakfast (Melbourne) | Ash, Issie & Elliot |
| KIIS Breakfast (Sydney) | Chris, Amy & Jack |
| KIIS Breakfast (Brisbane) | Robin, Kip & Corey |
| KIIS Breakfast (Adelaide) | Ben & Liam |
| National Drive (3pm–6pm) | Carrie Bickmore |
| Late Drive (6pm–9pm) | Kent ‘Smallzy’ Small |
Craig ‘Lowie’ Lowe and Gordie Waters round out the network lineup.
ARN Brings Carrie Bickmore to New Breakfast Shows
ARN CEO Michael Stephenson said Bickmore has an established presence in the industry.
“Carrie is one of the biggest stars in Australian media, and I couldn’t be more excited that’s she’s coming to ARN. She has spent the past decade at the top of national Drive and built an extraordinary connection with audiences right across Australia.” ARN CEO Michael Stephenson
The move is part of a strategy to build a “powerful content proposition for audiences and advertisers” alongside new breakfast shows in Sydney and Melbourne, Stephenson said.
ARN Chief Content Officer Kerri Elstub also said Bickmore is brilliant on air.
Details of Carrie Bickmore's new KIIS FM gig finally confirmed as she says goodbye to Tommy Little and signs up with new co-host Bron Lewis https://t.co/quEakRzZwi
“Carrie is simply brilliant on air. She’s warm, curious, incredibly funny and has a rare ability to make listeners feel part of the conversation. We can’t wait to hear Carrie make KIIS Drive her own, alongside Bron and the rest of the team.” Kerri Elstub
KIIS Breakfast will arrive on free-to-air television in 2027. Australian True Crime will move to Network 10.