Brendan ‘Jonesy’ Jones put his career on the line for his Gold FM co-host Amanda Keller.
This year, the Gold FM Sydney breakfast duo released their book Pump Up The Jam to celebrate 20 years on the radio waves together.
In the tome, the 57-year-old lifted the lid on the lengths he went to secure his co-host on the show in 2004.
With ratings tanking and his former co-host Kayley Harris leaving the platform, things weren’t looking good for Gold FM, known as WSFM at the time.
‘We were coming fifth in a five horse race, and I thought, “they’re going to get rid of me!”‘ he told news.com.au on Friday.
Jonesy, who had previously worked with Amanda, 63, at Triple J, urged WSFM to bring her on board as his new co-host, guaranteeing them that the show would reach number one with her behind the mic.
Brendan ‘Jonesy’ Jones (pictured) put his career on the line for his Gold FM co-host Amanda Keller
This year, the Gold FM Sydney breakfast duo released their book Pump Up The Jam to celebrate 20 years on the radio waves together (Pictured: Brendan ‘Jonesy’ Jones and Amanda Kellar)
Encouraging them to offer her whatever she wanted, Jonesy even went as far as to bet his own job on their success, adding that management could fire him without paying out his already-signed three-year contract if they didn’t make number one within the year.
‘All I wanted to do was work a breakfast show with her and I knew it would work,’ he said.
Jonesy’s big risk paid off, with the radio duo nabbing the number one spot on the Sydney breakfast show charts within nine months, beginning a fruitful radio partnership that would span two decades.
Despite their longstanding success on-air, Amanda and ‘Jonesy’ addressed reports in August that they were being booted from their Sydney breakfast slot to make way for a Melbourne star.
Jonesy & Amanda will be moved to the Gold 101.7 drive slot in 2026 after 20 years of waking up with their listeners, while Christian O’Connell expands to take their morning slot.
The radio hosts addressed the news on their FM show, saying they would drag their listeners ‘kicking and screaming’ to the drive slot with them.
‘You and I have some big news. We have re-signed here at Gold. I don’t want to say “but”, but it’s “and”—there are going to be some changes,’ Amanda said.
‘Brendan and I are going to go to the drive shift… We could have stayed doing breakfast for years. We’ve never fought the hours.’
Jonesy & Amanda will be moved to the Gold 101.7 drive slot in 2026 after 20 years of waking up with their listeners, while Christian O’Connell (pictured) expands to take their morning slot
‘We’ve spent 20 years with you guys. And this is the thing. We’re going to drag you kicking and screaming with us to drive,’ she continued.
‘We’ve spent every morning with you guys for 20 years, and now we’re going to spend time with you later in the day. We’re really excited about that.’
Amanda went on to say: ‘As long as you guys come with us and listen to us in drive, all is right with the world.’
Listeners were divided by the news, with some saying it was a ‘terrible’ move, while others were excited to listen to Jonesy & Amanda on the drive home from work.
‘Oohhh breakfast won’t be the same. I love listening to you guys in the morning,’ one person wrote on Instagram.
‘This is terrible. Why do we need change? It’s working well now,’ another added.
‘This sounds more like a demotion,’ suggested a third.
But someone else commented: ‘I will listen to you guys no matter what time of the day or night you’re on.’
‘I will be following you pair wherever you go,’ another agreed.
‘Definitely will miss you in the morning! But so glad we will still get to listen to you in the afternoon!’ yet another fan wrote.