Christian McEwan & Bella Leone to join Marty Haynes on i98FM Breakfast

The new i98FM Breakfast show has been revealed, with Christian McEwan and Annabelle ‘Bella’ Leone set to join Marty Haynes on a permanent basis.

McEwan and Leone have previously headed up Breakfast on fellow WIN Radio station C91.3FM in Campbelltown.

They have been joining Hayes sporadically throughout the Breakfast recruitment process for Wollongong’s i98FM, but the new show Marty, Christian & Bella For Breakfast officially kicks off on Tuesday, October 5.

i98FM’s station manager, Tia Davis, said the trio epitomise the station’s brand values of “feel good fun”.

“Marty, Christian and Bella have already made a positive impact around the station and in the Illawarra community,” she said. “Now more than ever, it’s important for us to give our listeners a feel good boost after what has been a tough 18 months.

“Marty’s loveable nature, extensive experience as a broadcaster and in-depth knowledge of our community and audience has always been the solid foundation on which our Breakfast show has been built.

“Adding in the energy, infectious laugh and cheeky personalities of Christian and Bella was an easy choice – and one that we feel will continue to positively influence our strong position in the market. It is an incredibly exciting time for i98FM in terms of growth and we can’t wait to share what we have been working on in the Illawarra.”

Haynes said he was equally delighted with the appointment.

“Christian and Bella are a welcome and talented addition to the show and i98FM line up,” he said. “The pair are so enthusiastic and full of wonderful (and sometimes crazy) ideas. We’ve had a great time already with the show and have lots of exciting things planned for the future that I know our listeners are going to love.”

i98FM has been on the hunt for co-hosts for Haynes since Ryan Cram and Lyndal Rogers defected to host Drive on Grant Broadcasters’ 96.5 Wave FM.

Ally Redondo now hosts C91.3’s Breakfast program.