Dumped ABC presenter Sarah Macdonald surprised fans when she returned to the airwaves this week and revealed her future plans.
The popular 58-year-old presenter was dropped from her breakfast slot last month, but once again returned to air on Friday to discuss her new career path.
In a huge move away from radio, Sarah said she plans to shift her attention towards writing online and plans to use the Substack platform to publish articles.
Signing off from The Mornings show on Friday, Sarah promised fans will see her around again as she vowed to ‘pop up in new and various ways’.
‘I’m having a bit of rest and a bit of quiet but I’m also focusing on the future,’ she said.
‘It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later, chat to you in some way and be with people. I’ve got an Instagram account people can look up.’
Dumped ABC presenter Sarah Macdonald surprised fans when she returned to the airwaves this week and revealed her future plans as she will be moving away from radio
‘I might do some writing, I’m going to do a Substack, but for now I just want to have a lovely Christmas with my family,’ she added.
Sarah is already the author of several books including the 2002 non-fiction bestseller Holy Cow an Indian Adventure, which sold 70,000 copies.
Sarah also gave listeners an update about how she has been doing after her shock axing, saying: ‘I am OK, it’s been a big couple of weeks.
‘When I said on air a few weeks ago that I wouldn’t be back next year and that ABC management decided not to renew my contract, I did expect a bit of reaction but not what happened.
‘It’s been so utterly overwhelming, the love and the support since that announcement. It’s been amazing. It’s been a lot.’
The ABC 702 star’s axing sparked an uproar from fans, with thousands signing a petition to demand her return.
Sarah, who has been on leave ever since her sacking three weeks, also addressed why she has been absent from air since learning that the ABC would not renew her contract.
‘I just had to be silent. And I just had to not talk. And I had to retreat from the intensity of it all. I’ve been in almost silence,’ she shared.
While her permanent replacement hasn’t been revealed, Hamish Macdonald (pictured) has been tipped as the top contender to take over the breakfast show
‘I’ve really felt the love, but I needed to find my peace and my strength. And I just didn’t feel I could deliver a show that listeners deserve and expect.’
Sarah’s spot has been covered by presenters Tim Webster and Emma Crowe during her absence.
While her permanent replacement hasn’t been revealed, Hamish Macdonald has been tipped as the top contender to take over the breakfast show, according to news.com.au.
The rumour surfaced late last month soon after Sarah announced she had been let go from the Sydney program after more than three decades working with the national broadcaster.
Insiders claimed the broadcast journalist, 43, has the blessing of ABC boss Kim Williams, who succeeded Ita Buttrose as the national broadcaster’s chair in March.
Hamish is arguably best known for being a presenter on Network 10’s The Project and working on ABC Radio National’s RN Breakfast show.
Despite Sarah’s axing causing an uproar with fans, ABC boss Williams said he fully supported Sarah’s exit as the ABC looks to revitalise its radio division under audio director Ben Latimer.
‘Changes in media are part of life,’ he recently told the National Press Club in Canberra. ‘They are part of the programming fabric of all organisations.’
Hamish is arguably best known for being a presenter on Network 10’s The Project and working on ABC Radio National’s RN Breakfast show
ABC staffers were shocked by the move when it was announced alongside a raft of sweeping changes at the taxpayer-funded service, greeting the news with a round of boos in their Sydney headquarters.
However, Williams was adamant Sarah, who is well-liked and highly regarded throughout the industry, was not fired – just that her job has been given to someone else.
‘It’s inaccurate to say that Sarah Macdonald has been sacked,’ he said. ‘Her role has not been renewed. They are different conceptually.
‘In a similar way, management has determined that it wishes to take that service in a different direction.
‘That decision is a management decision, and I fully support our management in making relevant decisions as to the direction and content of the services that the ABC provides.
‘So, yes, I do support that decision, I do support the notion of refreshment in the various services that the ABC offers.’
The ABC has reportedly been inundated with complaints since Sarah revealed she had been given the boot live on-air on her show last week.
‘Well, here’s the news from me in terms of disappointment,’ she told her listeners.
‘I’m not going to be on the radio with you next year, the ABC has decided not to renew my contract here at Mornings. I am proud of what I’ve done. The ratings are up..
