Lowie for Breakfast: The ARN appointment nobody saw coming

Craig 'Lowie' Low. Image: Instagram

If you had him on your bingo card, then kudos to you. Because if you were a bookie, Craig ‘Lowie’ Low was a rank outsider – at best – to replace Robin, Kip & Corey on KIIS 97.3 Brisbane Breakfast.

He wasn’t even considered to be in the race.

Up until yesterday, Kent ‘Smallzy’ Small had been the hot favourite to land the gig.

With ARN having previously rejected reports Smallzy had signed on to host a national Mornings show on KIIS Network, it was happy to ‘sit in the speculation’ surrounding where he might or might not end up.

Turns out, it wasn’t KIIS Brisbane Breakfast.

Low’s appointment to the role came straight out of the blue and marks quite the comeback for the former B105 host who carved himself a profile on The Hot30 Countdown before relocating to the US, where he’d been working as a comedy performer and writer.

In announcing the news at ARN’s Upfront event in Sydney, Chief Audience Officer Lauren Joyce enthused that Breakfast with Lowie “Would will be everything KIIS stands for – fun, fearless and completely in tune with its audience.”

And as Robin, Kip and Corey prepare to sign off in December, Lowie told news.com.au he’s aware he’s got some big shoes to fill:

“I’m not going to be able to replace them, even if I tried.”

“All I can do is come in and do my own version of a breakfast radio show.”

Speculation is already rife that Low’s solo appointment could lay the groundwork for Kyle and Jackie O to move into Brisbane Breakfast further down the track.

And whilst there are many things we can take away from Upfront 2026, one thing is certainly clear: Belle Jackson is a class act.

With Ben, Liam and Belle having departed Nova and Ben Harvey and Liam Stapleton replacing the Breakfast team of Max Burford and Hayley Pearson on what will be known as KIIS 102.3 in Adelaide … three now becomes two, with Jackson returning to her original role as ‘Producer Belle.’

Jackson says she has loved every second of her on-air role with Harvey and Stapleton – and knew she was lucky.

“All good things come to an end,” Jackson posted to Instagram.

“I’m just so happy I get to keep working with my boys and doing what I love.”

Professionalism and grace.

Many could take a leaf out of her book.