Jay-Jay Feeney leaving More FM, taking break from 33-year-long radio career

Jay-Jay Feeney has announced she will be leaving radio broadcasting after a 33-year career.

The beloved broadcaster is taking a step back from her radio career to focus on herself and re-energise.

One of New Zealand’s most recognisable radio hosts, Jay-Jay Feeney, has announced she’s walking away from the More FM studio and putting radio on hold.

After 33 years working in an industry she noted she’s “literally grown up on”, Feeney decided now’s the right time to step away from the spotlight and shift her focus toward her health and wellbeing.

Announcing her departure live on air at the start of her More FM drive show with Paul ‘Flynny’ Flynn, Feeney warned listeners of her surprise news.

“Some people will be shocked by this and others will be happy,” she said, acknowledging that opening up about a “lot of her life on the radio” had “come at a price” for her.

“I just feel really tired. I feel like I don’t have many creative ideas left,” Feeney explained.

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“It’s a terrifying idea to give up something the only thing I have known my whole life.”

The broadcaster has chosen next Friday, July 5 to be the day of her final show on More FM.

Speaking to More FM about her decision, Feeney said she’d hit a wall creatively and didn’t think she had the energy to continue.

“Basically, I just need a big rest,” she said. “The one thing I’ve learned as I’ve got older, is how important mental health and clarity is. It’s time I actually listened to what my inner-self has been screaming at me for a while and slow down.”

Feeney kicked off her radio career at just 17 years old when she joined MediaWorks’ Energy FM in New Plymouth.

She moved to Hamilton in 1994 to host the drive show at The Breeze yet joined The Edge four months later, shortly after it first aired.

“Broadcasting has been my passion since high school, and it has been an absolute privilege to live my dream of entertaining people every day. The journey has been filled with unforgettable memories and countless highlights that I will always cherish. I’ve been lucky to work with some of the best in the business,” Feeney said on More FM.

“Thank you for your unwavering support and for allowing me to be a part of your lives. I may be back, but for now, it’s time to look after myself and leave you in the capable hands of everyone else at More FM and MediaWorks.”