Guy ‘Cliffo’ Clifton celebrates 25 years in radio

Guy ‘Cliffo’ Clifton – co-host of Townsville’s top-rating Cliffo & Kate for Breakfast on 102.3 Triple M – today celebrates 25 years in radio.

From a sixteen year-old volunteer at Great Lakes FM on the New South Wales Mid North Coast to becoming one of Queensland’s most recognisable voices, Cliffo is a shining example that hard work and talent can lead to extraordinary results.

Cliffo’s career has taken him through Bega, the Hunter Valley, Grafton and Mackay, before finding his long-term home in Townsville – where, in his very first survey alongside co-host Kate Jeboult, Cliffo & Kate claimed a dominant #1 Breakfast result with a 22.2% share.

Across two and a half decades, Cliffo has done it all: he’s broadcast live during cyclones and floods, lived in a V8 Supercar for a week and moved in with a single mum of six for a Family Guy stunt.

He’s also given away life-changing prizes and, more recently, participated in the Brighter Day radiothon, which raised more than $200,000 for cancer care in North Queensland.

Cliffo also credits Hit the Hill, a 24-hour event for the Townsville community to fundraise for suicide prevention, as one of the most impactful he’s been involved in, saying “The stories I heard during ‘Hit the Hill’ will stay with me forever. We were talking mental health years before it was discussed openly, and it genuinely saved lives.”

Radio has also shaped Cliffo’s personal life. While hosting a Reece Mastin in-store at Willows Shopping Centre, he met his now-wife Michelle, and today they have two children, 11 year-old Matilda and six year-old Charlie.

Still the only announcer to hit Number 1 on two different Townsville stations (Triple M & Hit), Cliffo says it’s the community connection that makes radio special:

“This building has been like a second home. I’ve laughed, cried, and even showered here when my bathroom flooded during the 2019 floods. But the connection with locals is why radio still matters. No other medium connects like live radio. I’m so thankful to the Townsville community for embracing our show, for sharing their stories with us every day, and for being the best listeners we could ask for.”

Cliffo can be heard on Cliffo & Kate on Townsville’s 102.3 Triple M from 6-9am weekdays, also on LiSTNR.