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ARN has announced that Craig “Lowie” Low will take over KIIS 97.3’s Brisbane breakfast show in 2026, replacing Robin & Kip with Corey Oates. ARN described Breakfast with Lowie as “bold, entertaining and fast-moving … a high-energy start to the day that brings together the best music, the biggest personalities, and the unique Brisbane perspective listeners love.” The announcement marks a comeback for Lowie, who rose to fame on The Hot30 Countdown in 2006 before moving to the US to work as a comedian and writer. But it has also surprised some within the industry, who say Lowie has a reputation for being difficult to work with. News.com.au spoke to Maz Compton, who co-hosted The Hot30 with Lowie back in 2006. When asked what her experience was like, Compton said, “Interesting is a good word, toxic could be another.” “He was very, very young, but very, very talented,” she said about her former co-host. “And I think when you are not managed properly, when you are so young and you have all of this talent and you’re not really sure where to channel it all, it can be really dangerous. “I think that’s what happened with Lowie,” Compton continued. “It all went to his head. He came into the building obsessed with Kyle Sandilands and was told that he was the next Kyle. It felt like he was kind of like this beast that couldn’t be tamed.” Compton, who now co-hosts the breakfast show on Triple M Central Coast, told news.com.au that Lowie didn’t know how to manage relationships and how to work well with people. “That was really tricky and problematic, and the reason why I ended up leaving (The Hot30),” she said. Compton said that Lowie has apologised to her since they parted ways, a gesture she very much appreciated. When asked what she thought of Lowie landing the new gig on KIIS Brisbane, Compton joked, “Everyone has a redemption story; some people go on SAS Australia, some people get radio shows”. “As much as there’s been problematic behaviour … you can’t deny that Lowie’s a great broadcaster and he’s really brilliant on air,” she continued. “Obviously, you want people to be successful, and if they’re really great at doing something, you want them to shine doing it. I just hope that he’s been able to tame all of the other stuff so that he can be a great colleague in that building.” Lowie responds News.com.au reached out to Lowie, and to his credit, he accepted full responsibility for his past behaviour and declared that he is a changed man. “Firstly, Maz is a beautiful person and I’ll always appreciate her for what she taught me,” he said. “Honestly, I was a teenager when I started hosting that show (Hot30), and she’s right, it was too much, too fast, and I was easily the worst version of myself.” Lowie hosted the program for two years before he parted ways with the Hit Network. “I think I’m glad I lost it all,” he said about his radio career in the mid-2000s. “It gave me a chance to take accountability, learn, grow, love, and you know, I’m not just asking for forgiveness from other people, but I guess also myself. “I can’t change who I was, no matter how much I would want to, but I can certainly control how I move through life now as a man, and I live with joy and I try to leave every room a little happier once I’ve left it,” he told news.com.au. Lowie is aware that he has big shoes to fill on KIIS FM Brisbane breakfast, and paid tribute to the current hosts (Robin Bailey, Kip Wightman, and Corey Oates) who will be on air until December. “I’m not going to be able to replace them, even if I tried,” he said. “All I can do is come in and do my own version of a breakfast radio show.” He continued, “ I also know it’s someone’s favourite radio show out there, and it’s no longer going to be on air next year, and that sucks for everyone. “You’re never happy when someone else isn’t doing what they want to do anymore, and then your opportunity rises from it.” KIIS 97.3 Breakfast with Lowie will start in early 2026. ARN’s other big announcements Lowie’s appointment is part of a wider shake-up across ARN’s national line-up for 2026. The network revealed that Ben and Liam will host the KIIS FM Adelaide breakfast next year, replacing Hayley and Max in the Morning. Ben Harvey and Liam Stapleton had been hosting Nova’s national Late Drive Show and were expected to stay on air until December 12, but Nova confirmed on Monday that they’ve now officially left the network. Ben and Liam aren’t the only stars who’ve jumped ship from Nova to KIIS FM. Kent ‘Smallzy’ Smalls, who wrapped up Smallzy’s Surgery on Nova in August after 23 years with the network, has also signed with ARN. The Smallzy Show will air from 3-4pm and then 7-9pm each weekday on the KIIS network in 2026.
