Dean ‘Clairsy’ Clairs announces his departure from 96FM Breakfast

Clairsy & Lisa. Image supplied

After twelve years of hosting Breakfast radio, Dean ‘Clairsy’ Clairs is hanging up the headphones.

Clairs – one half of the Clairsy & Lisa Show on Perth’s 96FM – announced the shock news on air this morning.

A regular fixture on the WA airwaves for more than forty years, Clairs revealed to The West Australian that the time had come to walk away.

“I’ve done breaky for 12 years straight – starting with seven and a half years at Mix 94.5 and four and a half years at 96FM – and I don’t think I’ve got anything to prove.”

Clairsy admits the early starts that Breakfast radio demands start to hit differently when you’re on wrong side of 60.

He says he’s been fortunate to have Lisa Shaw as his co-host since arriving at the ARN station.

A West Aussie through and through, Clairsy started in radio at the tender age of 17 in Merredin.

In 2021, Clairsy realised his long-held dream of joining 96FM and has spent the past four and a half years co-hosting Clairsy & Lisa on Breakfast – a show that has helped drive 96FM’s ratings success, with the station now holding the #1 overall position in Perth and recently achieving its highest share in over 20 years with a massive 17.1%.

Clairsy said “From the age of 16 I was lucky enough to know what I wanted to do and my obsession was to work at 96FM. 38 years later the legendary Gary Roberts gave me the chance to do that. I also got to work with my long-time friend Lisa Shaw. You can’t buy the kind of chemistry we have together.”

Over the course of his career, Clairsy has interviewed some of the world’s biggest names in music, sport, film and television – from Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Nicks and P!NK to Hugh Jackman, Sir Ian McKellen and Angela Lansbury.

He’s been part of some of the most successful line-ups in Perth and Adelaide radio history, and never shied away from a wild stunt, including abseiling off the WACA light towers for Telethon – despite his fear of heights.

96FM Content Director Greg Edgeworth paid tribute to Clairsy’s contribution, saying “Clairsy is one of the most respected and genuinely loved figures in Australian radio. He brings heart, humour and humility to everything he does. He’s been instrumental in 96FM’s incredible success over the past few years and will always be a part of the station’s story. We wish him nothing but happiness in this next chapter.”

ARN says Clairsy’s replacement on 96FM Breakfast will be announced soon.