The moment Fitzy swore at his boss – and landed a massive pay-rise

It’s the workplace sin that would usually see most joining the unemployment lines.

But for Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald – one half of Nova 96.9’s Fitzy & Wippa breakfast radio show – swearing at his boss resulted in a massive pay-rise. 

Speaking to Craig Bruce on the Game Changers: Radio podcast, the popular radio jock recounted a meeting he and his national drive show co-host Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli had with Nova executive Paul Jackson in 2011. 

Jackson said: ‘Guys, got some great news, we want you to do Sydney breakfast!’

And Fitzy, 41, immediately put his foot in it.

‘I just looked at Paul and said, “I’m not going to f***ing do it. I’m not doing it,”‘ Fitzy recounted on the podcast.

‘I said, “Mate, I’ve just done seven years in Adelaide doing breakfast!”

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‘The drive show … our ratings were starting to climb and we were just enjoying it so much. I said, “I just don’t want to do it. I don’t care about the money, I just don’t want to get up early anymore.”’

Expecting to be shown the door by the shocked executive, Fitzy was instead shown the money.

Tough talker: ‘They [Nova] just threw more money at us and we were like, “This is awesome!”’

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The former AFL player said: ‘They [Nova] just threw more money at us and we were like, “This is awesome!”

The Fitzy & Wippa Nova breakfast show began early the next year and the duo havent’ looked back since.

‘I love breakfast now,’ Fitzy said. ‘I think it’s the perfect shift.’