Lauren Phillips replaces PJ Harding as host of KIIS FM Melbourne’s breakfast show

It was the worst-kept secret in radio.

And on Thursday, KIIS 101.1 Melbourne finally confirmed what many already knew: Lauren Phillips is replacing Polly ‘PJ’ Harding on the Jase & PJ breakfast show.

The new program will now be called Jase & Lauren in the Morning, with Lauren taking the reins alongside co-host Jason ‘Jase’ Hawkins. 

The new role will see Lauren, who also presents the weather for Nine’s Weekend Today, return to Melbourne after spending much of the pandemic in Byron Bay.

She previously co-hosted KIIS 101.1’s summer breakfast show with Ryan Jon.

‘I did Summer breakfast and it sort of came from nowhere for me but then a conversation started about how much I enjoyed doing Summer breakfast and then we started chatting and I was like maybe this is going somewhere,’ Lauren said.

‘You could have seriously knocked me over with a feather when they told me what they were thinking. It’s really exciting, I’m super pumped about it.’

She will continue filming weather segments for Weekend Today, meaning she’ll effectively be working seven days a week.

Former host PJ broke down live on air in March as she announced her resignation, explaining it was ‘one of the hardest decisions’ she’d ever made.  

‘It’s not been an easy decision to make but I know for me it’s the right one and will kickstart a brand new chapter,’ she said.

‘I will miss Jase and the whole team so much, but rest assured we will definitely stay in contact as Jase is adamant to be my head bridesmaid.’

She has returned to her native New Zealand after a ‘challenging’ year which saw her ‘priorities change’ after getting engaged and losing her father.