How Joel Creasey is preparing for his Nova Drive debut

Same same, but different? Joel Creasey has big boots, or indeed Birkenstocks, to fill when he takes over from Marty Sheargold on the Nova Network’s popular national Drive show.

Kate, Tim & Marty have been together since 2014. Replacing the man known as ‘Shiggsy’ won’t be easy, the show has won the Best On-Air Team twice and Best Networked Program three times.

“I’ve been in lockdown. It’s been a bizarre experience,”  Creasey tells Radio Today. “But I’ve been listening every day, studying it, taking notes with a lot of highlighters, all that.” 

Chemistry shouldn’t be a problem either, with Tim Blackwell admitting that while he’s known Creasey for years, he actually met Sheargold on the first day they went to air together.

“I’m confident in the fact we already have a relationship, and I’m sure he’ll fit in just perfectly,” Blackwell laughs. “Be yourself, you’ll be fine, and you’ll know when the first ratings come out.”

Kate Ritchie and Creasey also know each other, but more often than not, they’ve hung out in well-lubricated social situations. “Kate and I can’t remember our time spent together,” admits Creasey.

“We’re still doing Drive because it’s the party shift!” adds Blackwell.

Given the show’s success, there is obvious pressure when it comes to ratings. But the team won’t be taking the numbers to heart. Ritchie and Blackwell aren’t quite sure what to expect.

“What have people even been doing in during COVID?” Blackwell asks. “We haven’t had a survey since March. We could have a really, really rude shock… does that mean we can blame Joel?” 

“Everyone’s blaming COVID for everything, at least you’ll have a good excuse,” Ritchie says.

Creasey jokes, “I’ve never been in radio so I haven’t paid close attention to ratings, but I’ve worked for SBS so I’m used to low ratings.”

The announcement of Creasey’s appointment came as a surprise. It’s a high-profile appointment, and while he hasn’t held a full-time gig on a show, he’s been a regular on Nova over the years.

“Everything has changed so much in 2020, and I won’t be doing anywhere near the travel I used to do, so I’m stoked to get this gig,” the standup comedian says.

“I’ll talk with Chrissie [Swan] and Myf [Warhurst] who I’m very close with, but I’m keen to learn things as I go and find my own way to do stuff, as I’ve done with stand-up.”

In terms of final advice for his incoming co-host, Blackwell passes on something he was told early on in his radio career.

“There are around 220 of these shows a year, so don’t get bogged down if you don’t get the thing that you wanted on today. You’ve got a hundred… thousand more opportunities.”

The Kate, Tim & Joel show on Nova Network Drive begins on September 14.