Tommy Little and Carrie Bickmore’s radio exit leaves one question. We could have the answer in a matter of hours

Millions of Australians had just one question after Tommy Little and Carrie Bickmore announced their show The Hit Network’s Carrie and Tommy is ending after 10 years: who will replace them?

Now it appears we could have the answer in a matter of hours.

Southern Cross Austereo (SCA), the company behind the Hit Network, is due to host its annual upfronts at 4pm today and promises to “unveil what’s next”.

Given the timing of Little and Bickmore’s announcement on Wednesday afternoon, many fans and radio industry insiders are predicting their replacements will be announced at this afternoon’s event.

Their exit will be front of mind for attendees and SCA executives, who may want to avoid weeks of speculation over who could be stepping into the Hit Network’s coveted drive slot when Bickmore and Little wrap up on December 11.

“After nearly 10 years of doing this amazing show, the Carrie and Tommy show is coming to an end,” Bickmore said through tears as she announced their exit live on-air yesterday.

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“I’ve loved every minute of doing the show. It’s not every day you get to come and have a laugh and call it your job with your best mate.”

Little called the news “sad” and said it was not how he “wanted [the show] to end”.

“I love this job, and I would have kept doing it for a long time, but I don’t always get my way,” he added.

The Hit Network’s Carrie and Tommy was the third most listened to network radio program in Australia, so whoever takes their place will have big shoes to fill.

Who could replace Tommy Little and Carrie Bickmore?

The Hit Network could tap into current or past talent to fill the Drive slot, like KIIS did when they called in Amy Gerard to join the new Breakfast lineup that replaced Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson’s Kyle & Jackie O Show.

Gerard was a regular fill-in host on KIIS Breakfast and host of KIIS Weekends before she was tapped to join Dr Chris Brown and Jack Charles in the slot.

Hit could go in a similar direction and call in Loren Barry, a fan-favourite and current co-host of SCA’s Hot Hits, or the network could go rogue and bring Abbie Chatfield back three years after her show Hot Nights With Abbie Chatfield ended.

The network may also try to poach talent from a rival network; after all, Charles was at Nova for years before jumping into the KIIS Breakfast slot.

Hit may consider bringing over one or both of the hosts from KIIS’ popular Will & Woody Show, which will be departing the network at the end of the year.

Will McMahon and Woody Whitelaw were “devastated” when they announced the news their show was ending, so they may consider switching to a rival network.

Hit could aim even higher and try for Henderson, who hasn’t announced any new projects since she left KIIS earlier this year, but that seems unlikely.

What will Tommy Little and Carrie Bickmore do next?

The iconic radio duo could go in several directions now they’ve called time on The Hit Network’s Carrie and Tommy.

They might decide to keep hosting the show together and simply move it to a new network, or go the Kyle Sandilands route and turn Carrie and Tommy into an independent live show.

The more likely possibility is that Bickmore and Little will decide to part ways and pursue new independent projects in the radio or podcasting space.

Mediaweek has reported multiple sources claim Bickmore will replace Will McMahon and Woody Whitelaw on KIIS, following news their popular Will & Woody Show will leave KIIS at the end of the year.

It’s unclear if Little will go with her if she moves to the rival network.

He could opt to stay at the Hit Network and join a new or established show, or he could launch his own independent podcast a la Karl Stefanovic (although, that didn’t quite pan out the way the former Today host planned).

Either way, Bickmore and Little will surely have something in the works for 2027.