Nova’s PR fail as it accidentally confirms Kate Ritchie is joining Fitzy & Wippa in ‘rogue’ advert

Nova radio accidentally revealed Kate Ritchie is moving to Fitzy & Wippa in a rogue advert released to the public on Thursday afternoon. 

In a major PR fail, new posters for the radio show were seen being displayed in Sydney’s CBD, ahead of the official announcement. 

Nova is set to officially announce the news on air on Friday morning. 

The advert looks a little bizarre, and shows the faces of the radio stars almost morphed into one. 

‘Coming soon,’ the poster read. 

It comes amid the former Home and Away star being replaced by singer Ricki-Lee Coulter, 37, on Nova FM’s Kate, Tim and Joel drive show.

Kate had quit the show following a long absence and stint at rehab for alcohol dependency.

One of Australia’s biggest music stars, Ricki, 37, said she was ‘so happy’ to be taking over the segment alongside co-hosts Tim Blackwell and Joel Creasey, which has now been renamed Ricki-Lee, Tim & Joel. 

Nova is set to officially announce the news on air on Friday morning

The advert looks a little bizarre, and shows Kate’s face, as well as Fitzy and Wippa’s faces almost morphed into one

‘I love Tim and Joel like the brothers I never had but always wanted, and I have been having so much fun in the studio with them – they are the best in the business!’ she said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Thursday.

‘I have so much love for Kate and I’m so happy I’ve been able to help out on the Drive show over the last year. I am pumped to be officially joining the Nova family!’

Tim and Joel added that they are equally excited to have Ricki-Lee onboard, saying her ‘energy gets us all up and about each and every day’.

Meanwhile, Kate said she wishes her successor the best of luck in her new role and was ‘thrilled’ to be moving onto something new.

It comes amid the former Home and Away star being replaced by singer Ricki-Lee Coulter, 37, on Nova FM’s Kate, Tim and Joel drive show

‘I’ve had an incredible eight years as part of Nova’s Drive team, and I wish Ricki-Lee all the luck in the world,’ she said.

‘I’m thrilled to be taking on an exciting new challenge and I can’t wait to share what I’m doing next.’

Last week, it was rumoured Kate was planning to jump ship from Nova’s national drive show to the network’s Sydney breakfast program.

She announced last year she was taking a break from the Kate, Tim & Joel show to focus on her health, but sources at the network said she wouldn’t return.

‘I’ve had an incredible eight years as part of Nova’s Drive team, and I wish Ricki-Lee all the luck in the world,’ Kate said in a statement

It was later revealed she was seeking treatment for alcohol dependency, after Daily Mail Australia obtained photos of her outside a rehab facility.

The ex-Home and Away actress subsequently said in a statement the challenges of the past year had led to an ‘unhealthy reliance on alcohol’.

On January 20, the media personality reassured listeners she was ‘doing well’ and would be back on her Nova FM drive show soon. 

Meanwhile, Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald and Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli’s co-host Sarah McGilvray faced a ‘brutal’ exit from the show.

Nova FM staff have spoken of their ‘shock’ and ‘confusion’ over the sudden exit of Fitzy and Wippa’s long-serving co-anchor.

Meanwhile, Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald and Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli’s co-host Sarah McGilvray faced a ‘brutal’ exit from the show

Current and former employees of the radio station told Daily Mail Australia they were blindsided by news Sarah was being pushed aside to make way for incoming co-host Kate, with some only learning about it via the press last week.

One staffer said her departure was ‘brutal’ for someone who had ‘given a decade of her life’ to a radio show and was popular with listeners, adding she was ‘tossed aside without so much as a proper goodbye’.

‘The guys at Nova are baffled. Most people didn’t even find out until the stories broke. They had all been asking, “Where is Sarah?” and were confused,’ another said.

Sarah worked on Fitzy and Wippa for 12 years, spending eight of those as a co-host alongside Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald and Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli. Before that, she was a senior producer for the Sydney breakfast program.

Her exit has not been acknowledged on air since she vanished from the show almost three weeks ago after a blow-up with management about her role at the network.

A source with knowledge of the discussion said Sarah was ‘upset and angry’ at her bosses for effectively taking her job away from her by bringing in Kate as a third host.

Nova execs apparently tried to offer her a ‘consolation deal’ that would see her take on a ‘managerial-type role’ within the company, but she rejected it and walked out.

The Fitzy and Wippa show is taking a ‘business as usual’ approach by not mentioning Sarah’s absence – despite listeners flooding their social media pages with questions about when she is coming back.

One insider said it ‘feels like she never existed, even though she was the heart and soul of the show’.

The Fitzy and Wippa show is taking a ‘business as usual’ approach by not mentioning Sarah’s absence – despite listeners flooding their social media pages with questions about when she is coming back