Fitzy and Wippa listeners say show ‘isn’t the same without Sarah McGilvray’

Loyal listeners of Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa are tuning out after the Sydney breakfast show bumped long-serving co-host Sarah McGilvray to make way for Kate Ritchie.

Sarah’s sudden exit and the introduction of Kate, formerly of Nova’s national drive show, has led to fans complaining about the move on social media.

After the program posted a photo on Facebook of Kate with co-anchors Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald and Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli, listeners flocked to the comments section express dissatisfaction with the new line-up.

One fan said the trio sounded ‘awkward’ and described the former Home and Away star as ‘no match for Sarah’.

‘I know it’s early days, but I miss Sarah,’ another said. 

Sarah’s (pictured) sudden exit and the introduction of Kate, formerly of Nova’s national drive show, has led to fans complaining about the move on social media 

After the program posted a photo on Facebook of Kate with co-anchors Fitzy and Wippa, listeners flocked to the comments section express dissatisfaction with the new line-up 

One fan said the trio sounded ‘awkward’ and described the former Home and Away star as ‘no match for Sarah’. ‘I know it’s early days, but I miss Sarah,’ another said 

One listener said they simply would not ‘bother’ with the new team having heard Kate’s work on the Nova drive program.

However, one fan came to Kate’s defence and wished her luck with the new team, but added: ‘Don’t know why they couldn’t keep Sarah too though! Love Sarah!’

Sarah’s brutal exit from Fitzy & Wippa was finally acknowledged last week, a full month after she vanished from the airwaves.

She spent 12 years working for the Nova 96.9 breakfast show, eight of those in front of the microphone, before being pushed out to make way for Kate, who was drafted in from the late-afternoon slot.

One fan came to Kate’s (pictured) defence and wished her luck with the new team, but added: ‘Don’t know why they couldn’t keep Sarah too though! Love Sarah!’ 

Nova confirmed in a statement earlier this month that Kate would be joining Fitzy and Wippa on their Sydney breakfast show from March 13. 

The announcement came a day after Ricki-Lee Coulter was confirmed as Kate’s replacement on the Kate, Tim and Joel national drive show.

Kate had been absent from afternoons for months, during which time she entered a rehab facility for alcohol dependency.

Meanwhile, the former soap actress won’t be working full-time at Fitzy and Wippa, with a Nova spokesperson confirming she will be on air from 7am to 9am.

The first hour of the program will only feature Fitzy and Wippa and newsreader Matt De Groot.