RTÉ 2fm’s new schedule is shaping up one bit at a time with the news that Will Leahy is being replaced on drivetime by Colm Hayes.
2fm says “Drive By with Colm Hayes will be a fast paced interactive show – bringing listeners the latest news on all things comedy, showbiz, entertainment, music and sport and knowing Colm – always expect the unexpected.”
Colm Hayes started his career in pirate radio before joining 2fm to present a weekend show. He was then handed the lunch time show after Gerry Ryan.
Commenting on his new role, Colm Hayes said: “I’m very happy to be moving to Drivetime on 2fm. It’s probably the only time slot I’ve never been on in my entire career. It’s a new challenge. We’ve been planning this move for a number of weeks and hopefully people will enjoy to the new show. It will be edgy, unpredictable (bit like the weather) and fun. We want Ireland to finish its working day with a smile on its face. I thoroughly enjoyed the 11am phone show I presented for the last three years and hopefully our 11’ o’clock listeners will tune in to the new show.”
After 2fm, Colm headed into the world of commercial radio. He worked on Capital 104.4FM, Rock104 and then onto FM104. In the summer of 1995, Colm became programme director of FM104, creator and main presenter on The Strawberry Alarm Clock.
Colm has presented The Colm Hayes Show on 2fm since 2010.
Will Leahy has been a mainstay in RTÉ 2fm since the 1990s. From 1999 – 2007 he presented weekends. Will then moved to the drivetime slot in 2007 which was broadcast each day from his home base in Limerick. This was the first time a regional programme had been broadcast daily on the station. Will now moves to the weekend drivetime slot from 5-7pm every Saturday & Sunday.
Commenting on his new role, Will Leahy said: “With all this incredible new talent coming in to 2fm, it is inevitable that there are only so many seats at the dinner table. I have really enjoyed the past seven successful years as host of the More Music Drive and it is of great pride to me that we were the first weekday show in the history of 2fm to come from Limerick. The show now moves back to Dublin and both Colm & I hope that our loyal listeners will find us in our new homes!”
This is the third announcement in the new 2fm shake up. Bernard O’Shea, Keith Walsh and Jennifer Maguire were last week revealed as the new 2fm breakfast presenters and Nicky Byrne was announced as the new presenter of the Nicky Byrne Show which airs weekdays from 11am.
Head of 2fm, Dan Healy said: “I am very grateful to Will as are all his colleagues on 2fm for the huge job he has done for the station at weekdays, radio is a seven day week service and weekends are as important as Monday to Friday. Will owned the weekends on 2fm and I am thrilled he is taking on the challenge of growing our Saturday and Sunday audiences.
Colm Hayes, in my opinion, is one of the best broadcasters in Ireland. Not only that but he has created some of the most successful radio programmes we ever heard. His ability to make people laugh through his humour, his characters and banter will make evening drivetime a late, late breakfast which I am certain will be a huge success for 2fm.”
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