CHRISSIE SWAN
THE RADIO HOST IS LOVING HER NEW AFTERNOON GIG!
How has it been jumping from breakfast radio to afternoons?
I love change and I love a new challenge, so this is the best-case scenario for me.
What’s been good so far? What do you miss?
Sleeping in until 6.30am is already a wonderful bene t! I’m mad for sleep. Obsessed. Not having to set an alarm for 4.30am certainly makes clocking up those eight hours much more achievable. But I miss not seeing my besties every day without having to schedule it. It was such a luxury knowing they had to see me every damned day and they couldn’t cancel!
You’re juggling a number of di erent gigs these days. Why is radio so special to you?
It’s intimate and conversational. From the minute I put on the headphones, I feel utterly comfortable and at home. I also love that it’s every day. The consistency is gorgeous. I love TV, too – it’s so showbiz – but I feel I can be my most bonkers self on the radio.
Who has been a big in uence on you in your career, or who do you admire?
The rst time I was ever on-air was with Kate Langbroek and I admire her immensely. It’s hard to start a list because I would never nish. Pretty much everyone I’ve ever met in the industry has taught me something.
Do your kids understand what you do and are they ever impressed by your work?
They didn’t really care or know for a long time, but they are starting to notice now. I try to keep work and home life very separate, and they understand work is something I do and not something I am. I am their mother and that’s all they know, and that’s how it should be. They’re not impressed by what I do, but how I do it. They’re noticing how hard I work and how much joy I derive from it, and I think that’s a good example to set. I always say, “What a funny old life we live,” when a billboard pops up and they say, “Look, Mum – it’s you!”
Have you ever been starstruck by anyone you met through work?
I actually tend to avoid interviews where I am really a huge or embarrassing fan of the person, because I can’t humanise them and get a good interview. If I absolutely have to, I make sure ahead of time they know I’m gonna be an idiot because I’ve lost my mind over them. Good example is Sarah Jessica Parker, and I turned it around somehow. We fell in love with each other for 10 minutes, which was a dream come true. (The Chrissie Swan Show is on weekdays, 2pm-4pm on the Nova Network)