MIX FM Adelaide presenter Ali Clarke has announced this is her last week as co-host of Max & Ali in the Morning.
Clarke delivered the news to shocked fans live on air having teased a big announcement on social media.
“So here’s the big announcement MIX family,” she began. “This will be my last week on air with MIX 102.3 doing brekky.”
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“It’s really hard to say now and probably even harder to accept it as well but I was offered the opportunity to continue on and it’s really hard to say no to something like that because I love this,” she said.
“I love nothing more than connecting with people and I love radio so much, and I understand the privilege it is to be invited in to someone’s home or their car or their lives.”
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She said she’d “miss our listeners terribly and can’t thank them enough for their support of not just me, but my family.”
“Man I love radio and will miss this incredibly hardworking local team, but I know they’ll keep bringing the laughs and will go from strength to strength,” she continued.
When asked by co-host Max Burford if she “was sad” she said “don’t ask me that” before fighting back tears in a heartwarming moment when he pointed out she’d given them “four minutes” with “no tears” joking that it “wasn’t much of a leaving announcement.”
Clarke was diagnosed with breast cancer in July, sharing her health battle with her listeners and social media followers.
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She took some time off for treatment before returning in August.
Clarke urged women to check their breasts for early signs of breast cancer via multiple media outlets.
Following surgery, Clarke paid tribute to “our medicos, health workers and medical science.”
“For those playing along at home, things have gone well and the kids were fighting over my jelly within five minutes of them arriving to visit yesterday,” she said in a social media post.
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https://www.instagram.com/p/DAsxg_IT5iZ/?hl=en
“I have been absolutely overwhelmed by everyone’s kindness and care – and thank you to those who have made me feel less alone by sharing your stories. It’s also been a wonderful comfort to my mum and dad who can’t be down here at the moment,” Clarke said.
She urged once more: “Even better than those words though, would be to book in to get checked if you need to or give someone in your life a little nudge if you think they need it … this isn’t about scaring people and doing things unnecessarily, it’s just making you aware that ‘checking your breasts’ isn’t just a slogan and that you only start mammograms at 50.”
For cancer information and support call Cancer Council’s 13 11 20 Information and Support line.
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