Fitzy and Wippa break their silence about co-host Kate Ritchie after she was caught on camera in her very public meltdown

Nova radio hosts Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald and Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli have addressed their co-star Kate Ritchie's public meltdown.

Last week, images emerged of Ritchie, 46, acting erratically while picking up her daughter.

On Tuesday morning's radio show, Fitzy and Wippa showed their support to their co-host and said they're proud of her for speaking out about her struggles with mental health after she issued a public statement.

'The support for Kate over the past few days has been unbelievable. This is an ongoing battle... we will back Kate till the bank,' Fitzy said live on air.

Wippa added: 'We are so moved by all the comments and calls here at Nova showing her support.'

'That's why we celebrate Kate for putting her hand up and being so brave. I'm so proud of my friend for putting a statement out.'

It comes after Nova radio staff said they had grown increasingly concerned about Ritchie's precarious mental state and erratic behaviour in recent months and feared it was only a matter of time before she suffered a public meltdown.

Station insiders contacted Daily Mail Australia as recently as last Tuesday warning they were worried Ritchie was struggling to cope with the demands of her high-profile, $1million-a-year breakfast radio job.

'It's getting really bad and we're all really worried about Kate,' one Nova source said just one week ago.

'She's taken this week off when it's supposed to be her first week back on air for the ratings year - that's a massive deal.

'We don't really know what's going on or how long it will be allowed to go on for - something's going have to give.'

Meanwhile, Ritchie broke her silence on Monday after she was spotted rocking and forth while crying in a public park last week as her young daughter watched on from the backseat of their rented car, the engine still idling.

Earlier, Ritchie had attracted the attention of the paparazzi after stopping off at a bottle shop on the way to pick up her daughter from her first day back at primary school.

In a statement shared to Instagram on Monday, the actress said she has been dealing with mental health struggles and will be taking a break from her radio 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.'

Ritchie went on to address the images taken last week.

'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.

Ritchie went on to thank her friends and fans for their support over the past week.

'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.

Nova staffers said they were also surprised to see Ritchie picking her daughter up from school, given they were told the presenter had taken the week off to care for her.

In Ritchie's absence, it was left to fellow network star Chrissie Swan to fill in alongside Nova breakfast show hosts Fitzy and Wippa, while also continuing to front her own eponymous afternoon show at the same time.

Her co-stars initially promised their audience Ritchie would be returning to the airwaves this week but that quickly proved untenable. 

Although Nova steadfastly refused to publicly concede that she wouldn't be returning to the airwaves as planned, behind the scenes Swan was put on standby as Ritchie held crisis talks with her agent Mark Morrissey and manager Erin Keneally in the wake of the public incident.

Ritchie's absence is said to have come as a considerable concern to the station's executives, who have done everything they can to help support her in the key role. 

Given her enduring popularity with their audience, Ritchie has been the central ingredient to the show's increasing success.

Although Nova's breakfast team still trail in sixth place in the Sydney radio market with 7.4 per cent of the available audience, the program's audience has been growing and had picked up 0.5 percentage points in last month's rating survey.

'Kate is absolutely crucial if we're going to have any chance of taking on the timeslot's big guns,' one station source said.

'Fitzy's moved back to Adelaide and he's being beamed into the studio on the big screen, which honestly isn't ideal, and as good as Wippa is, he can't hold it all together alone.

'Kate's arguably the biggest star and the best reason to tune in, so to have her missing in action is a massive dilemma.

'We just hope she's alright and that she will be back soon.'

Ritchie has been candid about her struggles in the past after she checked into private Sydney rehab centre to get help for 'alcohol dependency' back in 2022.

At the time, she had stepped down from her role on Nova's drive show, Kate, Tim and Joel, after being charged with drink-driving just weeks earlier.

Ritchie returned a reading of 0.06 – just over the legal limit – when she was stopped by police for a random breath test in her station wagon at Pagewood at 2.45pm on August 22.

She was fined $600, suspended from driving for three months, and apologised on Instagram.

In December 2022, she said in a statement that the year had been challenging and stressful which led to an 'unhealthy reliance on alcohol'. 

'Recently I undertook a random breath test,' she wrote. 'Although it was low level, the test came back positive.

'I made a poor decision and there is no doubt I understand the seriousness of my actions. I am truly sorry.'

In March 2023, the star told The Sunday Telegraph that after struggling with several personal challenges she decided it was time to seek help.

'It was a long time coming. I sought professional help, the help that I needed. Sometimes enough is enough,' she said.

'Life has thrown me its challenges over the last few years, but I am not alone in that. I was fortunate to be able to take time.

'I just wanted to be a better version of myself for me and my family.'

If you or anyone you know needs immediate support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or via lifeline.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.