KATE QUITS FOR GOOD!

Kate Ritchie shocked fans when she announced she was stepping away from her Nova drive show, Kate, Tim & Joel, for the rest of the year to focus on her family. However, a source close to the network has spilled that the 43-year-old’s sabbatical may be more permanent than initially thought. “Most people at Nova are adamant Kate won’t come back,” says the spy. And even though the “network will do anything to keep her”, Kate is said to be shifting her focus back to TV now that Australia’s Got Talent has been a ratings smash. She’s also set to star in Seven’s new drama The Claremont Murders next year.