Hughesy & Kate’s Hit debut was pretty much exactly what you’d expect

Hughesy and Kate‘s move from Australian Radio Network‘s KIIS FM to the Southern Cross Austereo‘s Hit Network was finally realised with their first national Drive show of the year on Monday.

With Hamish and Andy vacating the slot at the end of 2017, Dave Hughes and Kate Langbroek, a Drive powerhouse and force to be reckoned with (especially in Sydney), were tasked with replacing the irreplaceable.

The show got off in vintage Hughesy and Kate style, with a goofy introduction during their first break leading into a First Date segment, giving listeners unfamiliar with the pair a good indication of the vibe and humour of the show.

They also made light-hearted jibes at their new employers throughout the show, complaining about the equipment and other radio-related raves, also suggesting that Hamish and Andy had “taken all the money with them”.

“We are the band on the Titanic, and even if the whole thing is going down we will keep playing until the end; so we guarantee that at the end of our show you will feel better than at the start, just as we do,” Langbroek had told News Corp prior to the first show.

They brought plenty of their relatable, personal content that had made their show on KIIS FM successful, with parenting, kids and marriage all featuring as topics over the two hours – and Hughesy’s wife also calling in.

All-in-all, it was exactly what you’d expect from an established duo, however, it will certainly be interesting to see how they perform come survey time.

Drive ratings are largely dictated by Breakfast, so their overall success will largely depend on the performance of each market’s 6am to 9am success. Hughesy admitting that plenty of listeners may have their radio dials “rusted on”.

Even in their final year, Hamish and Andy rated lower on 2DayFM in Sydney than across all other markets, well below Hughesy and Kate, who delivered ARN a #1 FM position thanks to Kyle and Jackie O on KIIS 106.5 Sydney Breakfast.

Time will tell whether Hughesy and Kate can turn their loyal listeners over to the Hit Network, and especially 2DayFM, but based on past performance at KIIS and Nova, the show will likely grow immediate steam in Melbourne.

What did you think of Hughesy and Kate’s first show on the Hit Network? Let us know in the comments section.