Nova listeners demand to know where Kate Ritchie is as radio station makes a major announcement after star's months long absence
The radio network shared the news on Thursday alongside a promo image featuring hosts Ryan Fitzgerald, Michael Wipfli and Kate Ritchie, who has been absent from the show for several months.
And now, confused listeners are demanding to know whether Ritchie will be returning to the radio program after appearing on the event poster.
'Where is Kate? She has been absent all year and nothing has been mentioned about her coming back, is she returning or not?' one person asked.
'Hope Kate is going well, will she be returning this year?' another concerned fan said.
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'When is Kate back?' a third questioned.
There has been ongoing speculation over when she'll return to co-host Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie on Nova 96.9 following her sudden departure in January after a troubling public incident in a Sydney park.
Kate's Instagram bio doesn't mention Nova anymore; instead she is simply 'actor, radio and broadcaster' which may point to her making a quiet exit.
Despite her absence, the breakfast radio show has continued to thrive with just Fitzy and Wippa at the helm, recently recording its highest ratings in almost a year.
The duo pulled in an impressive 8.7 per cent share of the audience in the latest survey, putting pressure on Nova bosses to make a decision about the show's future direction.
Kate has been receiving ongoing support at a rehabilitation facility since the incident, which saw her photographed in tears and appearing visibly distressed shortly after picking Mae up from school.
At the time, Kate released a heartfelt statement on social media explaining her decision to step away from the show.
'I struggle with mental health issues at times, which are deeply personal. This has proven to be a bigger challenge than I imagined,' she began.
'So I have decided to take a break from the show and the team who I love to focus on my health. I want to thank all of those who are helping me through this very difficult time. I love you. Thank you Nova for being there when I need you.'
Kate went on to address the images taken on January 29.
'This is also a problem many others are struggling with. They know what it's like. The images of me taken last week show that I wasn't okay on that day,' she continued.
She went on to thank her friends and fans for their support.
'Thank you to my wonderful family, all the Nova listeners, and many others who are sending their love and support. I appreciate it more than you can imagine,' she wrote.
Footage obtained by Daily Mail Australia then showed the former actress crying while on the phone, wiping tears from her eyes and burying her head in her hands.
A witness, who saw Ritchie get out of the car at the park, said the star 'looked really distressed'.
'She walked around a bit in the park while talking and then suddenly she sat down and started rocking her whole body back and forth and crying,' they said.
'It was really confronting – she looked so upset. When she turned around her eyes were all red and puffy and she looked absolutely devastated.'
The actress was then seen struggling to get up from the grass.
'After the call ended, she tried to stand up but lost her balance and sort of fell over again,' the bystander added.
'When she finally managed to get to her feet, she started making another phone call... she looked much happier during that call.'
Kate then walked around to the back of the vehicle – holding an arm out on the car as she got into the driver's seat and drove home.
At the time, Nova's co-hosts had promised their audience that the absent Kate would return after one day off, but that timeline was soon dropped.
This isn't the first time Kate has stepped away from her duties at Nova.
In 2022, she took an extended hiatus from her drive-time program with Tim Blackwell and Joel Creasey, citing exhaustion and burnout. She never returned to that show either.
Nova has remained tight-lipped on any potential comeback date and did not respond to questions about whether the embattled star had continued to receive pay during her absence.
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