Following a six-month break for her mental health, Kate Ritchie has returned to the Radio Nova 96.9’s Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie, with a heartfelt message for listeners.
Read her message in full below (or listen here):
“It is so good to be back, and I didn’t want to really kind of stop down and talk too much about everything, but I just have to say in all honesty, I have felt such gratitude. I’m not going to hit you with a hashtag blessed or anything like that, but I feel so incredibly grateful for the period of time that I have had away from the studio, and not only away from Nova, but away from lots of things. I just couldn’t be more thankful. I do want to say not only the support from you guys, but the wider team and Nova has been amazing, but I kind of expected that maybe it always would be, because I love you guys, and I’ve always loved this job. That was never the issue, but I think what I do really need to say, and I’m so glad I’m finally behind the microphone, because I couldn’t possibly respond to everyone, but the amount of people who have reached out to me over this period of time and since earlier in the year has been absolutely mind blowing.
So if you’re listening, and you were one of those people that reached out or stopped me in the street or even just smiled at me over the tomatoes in Harris Farm…for people to bother to actually say, without being intrusive, ‘Hey, it’s really nice to see you. Hope you’re doing well, can’t wait to hear you back on the radio’…. if you messaged me and I didn’t respond, because I did try to respond to a lot of people, and you started a message by saying, ‘This feels so silly’ or ‘This is going to be weird you don’t know me. I feel strange messaging you. But I just wanted to check in and see how you are going’. Thank you for bothering, because I read all of those messages, and they made all the difference.
I’m sure everybody listening has had, you know, periods of feeling incredibly alone and isolated, and sometimes the kindness is what keeps everything moving forward. So don’t ever, don’t ever second guess being kind to someone or thinking that it’s going to go down the wrong way. Just do it, because I saw all of those things…thank you to all of the people that called today and said, ‘Thanks for coming back’. Thank you for being so patient.”
The former Home and Away star was last on the airwaves back in January.
Friends and colleagues, along with fans, welcomed Kate’s return to radio. Gold Logie winner and former co-star of Kate’s on Home and Away, Lynne McGranger, wrote, “SO good to see you back, Kate. Much love honey.”
Jessica Rowe simply posted five love hearts in response. And TV presenter Joel Creasy also posted “K8” with three love hearts.
If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit their website.
