Radio legend calls it quits
Gus Worland has announced his departure from Triple M after 16 years with the network.
The radio legend shared the news during The Rush Hour show he co-hosts with Jude Bolton each weekday afternoon on 104.9 in Sydney.
"After 16 years, starting back in 2009, I'm leaving Triple M," he said on the show.
He revealed that he would be focusing on his foundation Gotcha4Life, dedicated to teaching Aussies how to manage their mental health, with their Mental Fitness Gym program being rolled out in schools around the country.
"I've decided to focus 100 per cent on Gotcha4Life which, of course, you blokes have been a part of and the station has been very supportive of me being away and doing that work.
"I just feel it's right. It's at the stage now where it really needs critical leadership and critical energy ... just the passion, so forth, that goes behind Gotcha4Life."
In an interview with 9Honey, he revealed that moving on from the show will be difficult.
"Especially when you've done it for more than a few years, you know what I mean? I feel like we've been through the trenches a bit together," he said.
He also spoke about how his gig on Triple M has helped him cope with the intensity of the work he is doing for his foundation.
"To give me the balance of fun and being able to come in here after horrific stories, and then to see everyone and have a laugh and have a cuddle and eat too much sugar," he said.
"I've needed that. I don't know how well I'll go without it, to be honest with you."
But despite the uncertainty, Worland said he felt it was "the right call."
"It's going to take me probably, you know, a few months or maybe a year to work out whether or not I can just do that job without the balance of media, but I'll still do my Wide World of Sports on Channel 9 and I'll do my Weekend Today on Channel 9," he said.
While he has been getting offers from other media organisations, he said that the majority of his energy will be focused on his foundation.
"I've got to be strong in my convictions," he said.
"Gotcha needs me every day, fully focused."
He hopes that one day mental fitness will be a subject in schools.
"We've just started a primary schools program and I want to really focus in on the little ones and making sure that they're learning that it's okay to show their emotions at a young age when a lot of us have our emotions turned off," he said.
"And I will continue to speak to every pollie [politician] and tell me what's a more important subject than mental fitness."
Worland will stay on the show until the end of the year, ahead of his replacement being announced.
Images: Triple M/ The Rush Hour/ Instagram