Triple M Toowoomba’s Lee Faulkner celebrates 25 years on air

Today marks an exciting radio milestone for Triple M Toowoomba’s Breakfast announcer Lee Faulkner – he’s celebrating 25 years on air.

A bona fide radio star of the Toowoomba community and a local legend, Lee has seen Toowoomba and the greater region through good times and bad.

Lee’s as much a mainstay of the local community as Shannon’s hot chips at show time, the Carnival of Flowers and a Friday arvo drink at Fitzy’s.

Listeners know that he loves the Parramatta Eels only marginally less than his wife and kids, that he is a talented cook (courtesy of a cheffing career prior to radio), that he can talk up a storm, and that he is funny.

Lee regards his regular listeners as friends. He knows the names of their kids, what they do for a crust, if their mother has been in hospital lately, and if they are struggling.

He’s known to have a heart bigger than Phar Lap’s and he’s not afraid to be emotional on air and off, making him more than the real deal.

But even after 25 years, he still gets nervous each morning before the ‘on-air’ light flashes red, a sign he never takes his role as the region’s favourite bloke for granted.

He has chalked up well over 5,000 interviews, with his favourites being a chat with singer Michael Bolton who sang to him down the phone, Glenn Frey (The Eagles), Michael Bolton, Roxette and Stevie Wright.

His worst? Well, that would be the 12 foot python that pooed all over the studio!

Lee – who started his radio journey in 1989 – says he loves the Toowoomba region more and more, describing it as the  most welcoming, generous, tight knit community with the perfect blend of lifestyle and opportunity.

He gave a shout out to former Mayor Paul Antionio, Shane Webcke, Graham Healy, The Fitzgibbons Family, his two former co-hosts Lizzy and Kim, as well as Hamish and producers Col Clifford, Merryl Miller and Rob Morgan.

 Lee’s favourite events each year have been the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, the Red Hot Summer Tour, local shows and the Carols and Christmas Wonderland.

Congratulations on a solid innings, Lee.