New Mix FM breakfast show lineup announced as Ali Clarke's replacement is revealed following shock breast cancer diagnosis

There's a brand new breakfast crew taking over the airwaves at Mix 102.3. 

The radio network announced on Saturday that  Hayley Pearson will be joining Max Burford for the breakfast show in 2025.

It will now be known as Hayley & Max in the Morning and airing in Adelaide from Monday, January 20, 2025 from 6am to 9am.

Hayley briefly filled in with Max on Mix 102.3 earlier this year and has also previously worked on breakfast radio at both Nova and SAFM. 

'I never thought I'd do brekky radio again, but here I am' Hayley said. 

'So excited to be heading back to my first love: radio! More than anything, I'm just so pumped to have fun and genuine laughs with Max and the whole Mix family every morning!' she continued. 

'What makes this even more special is that when I was 15, I did my Year 10 work experience at Mix 102.3. 

'It was at that moment that I realised I wanted to be a radio announcer, so this feels like a sweet little full-circle moment'. 

Hayley is currently the co-host of Channel 9's HelloSA and the co-creator of Adelady. 

Co-host Max Burford said, 'Hayley's a gem, our time together earlier this year was short but very sweet. She fit in seamlessly, and it felt like we'd been working together for years. 

'This show is going to be a stack of fun every morning.'

'We are thrilled to welcome Hayley to the Mix 102.3 family. We know that Adelaide is going love listening to her and Max as they keep the listeners entertained, informed and inspired' ARN Chief Content Officer, Duncan Campbell said. 

The Hayley & Max in the Morning show, 'promises to bring to the people of Adelaide the news and sport of the day, fabulous stories, massive prizes and life-changing moments every single day' according to a statement. 

It comes after Ali Clarke announced her shock departure from the Mix FM breakfast show in November. 

The Adelaide radio star, who co-hosted Max & Ali in the Morning with Max Burford, shared the news with listeners at the time.

'This will be my last week on air with Mix 102.3 doing brekky,' she began.

'It's really hard to say now and probably even harder to accept it as well but I was offered the opportunity to continue on and it's really hard to say no to something like that because I love this.'

'I love nothing more than connecting with people and I love radio so much, and I understand the privilege it is to be invited in to someone's home or their car or their lives.'

Ali explained this year has 'given her a new perspective' after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in July.

'I'll miss our listeners terribly and can't thank them enough for their support of not just me, but my family,' she continued.

'Man I love radio and will miss this incredibly hardworking local team, but I know they'll keep bringing the laughs and will go from strength to strength.'

Ali returned to work in August less than one month after announcing a heartbreaking breast cancer diagnosis live on air. 

She made a surprise return to discuss her recovery on air before revealing she would be back at work just a few days later.

'Well what do you reckon now that you are starting to go stir crazy, are you feeling you want to come back to work?' Max asked.

'Tomorrow morning at 6am I will be back on the air,' Ali revealed, much to the delight of Max and her fill-in Hayley Pearson.

Ali admitted she was excited to return to work as she was running out of things to do in her downtime.

She shocked listeners in July when she announced she will take a break from radio as she underwent treatment for breast cancer.

Ali's announcement that she's leaving the sow came after three of Nine's biggest breakfast radio stars have been fired, just days after Daily Mail Australia revealed bosses at the embattled network were sharpening their knives.

Brisbane's 4BC announced in September it is axing Laurel Edwards, Gary Clare and Mark Hine from the coveted breakfast timeslot.

KIIS FM star Mitch Churi has also been given marching orders and finished up this week. 

He has hosted The Night Show with Mitch Churi since 2019, and co-hosts The Pick Up with Brittany Hockley and Laura Byrne.

The decision was made for 'financial reasons' the paper claims, and Mitch, who has not been on the air since Thursday, was given the bad news on Tuesday.

'Mitch is shattered and completely blindsided,' the publication quoted a 'colleague' of the radio star as saying.