Life's now a Breeze! WHY ROBERT QUIT RADIO

The longtime host has no regrets about hanging up the headphones

- Rebekah Hebenton

All Robert Scott ever wanted to do was be on the radio. And for four decades, he did just that. Interviewing his musical heroes, from Sir Rod Stewart to Sir Bob Geldof, he lived his dream behind the mic. His eyes light up when he talks about his role and the lifelong friendships he has made along the way.

But after losing his beloved father and a surprising cancer diagnosis, Robert made the bold decision to step away from the mic and tune into something new: himself.

"I got to my 40th anniversary at the start of the year and I thought, 'I've done it!'" Robert tells the Weekly from his Auckland apartment. "But there was this perfect storm going on and I realised I really wanted to have a rest.

"It's been nice stepping off the merry-go-round of radio. I miss some of the people who I worked with, but over the years, the stress began to ramp up. I don't think I'm done yet, but it was time to focus on me for a bit."

Last year was Robert's annus horribilis. In February, his beloved dad John, who he describes as "more like a mate", sadly died. John had defied the odds time and again, surviving Covid multiple times, pancreatitis and shingles, but Robert says that at 91, “he just ran out of batteries”.