'I just became a breakfast radio show host. Here's what a day in my life looks like.'

Want to know how your favourite celebs spend their days? Yep, us too. In Mamamia’s A Day in the Life series, high-profile people share everything from what they eat for breakfast to their pre-bedtime rituals.

This week, we find out what life is like for nova 100’s newly announced breakfast radio co-host, Belle Jackson.

Belle Jackson recently made the move from inside the producer’s booth to in front of the microphone. The long-time producer for comedy duo Ben Harvey and Liam Stapleton will now appear alongside the fellas as co-host on nova 100’s new Melbourne breakfast radio show, Ben, Liam & Belle.

The Adelaide-based show had been a top performer in recent years – and now it’s relocating to Melbourne, with Belle promoted to the starting line-up. 

Belle says she’s “so excited” for the new gig – but admits to Mamamia her first instinct was that her prank-loving co-hosts were “stitching her up”.

“I still think any minute they’re going to turn around and say, ‘GOTCHA!” Belle laughs.

“But I’m thrilled! And to be doing the show in Melbourne, my hometown, is wild,” Belle adds. “I grew up listening to nova’s breakfast radio show – and now being on it is so bloody exciting!”

Although Belle’s job title will change significantly once the show goes to air from Monday December 5, her decade as a breakfast radio show producer has already put her in good stead to handle the demanding schedule.

“My alarm goes off at 3.30am so I can get into work by 4.30am – and from that point we hit the ground running,” Belle explains. 

Radio co-hosts Ben Harvey, Belle Jackson and Liam Stapleton. Image: Supplied.

To kick her mind and body into gear, Belle says she follows the same morning routine of throwing on a pre-planned outfit and drinking her pre-made banana and berry green smoothie. 

“After that, I’ll have a coffee while I scroll through the news, so that when I get into work, I’m already across everything that’s happened overnight,” she explains.

Once Belle arrives in the office, it’s all hands on-deck to prepare for the show, which goes on-air at 6am.

“Once we’ve filled the gaps in the show, we’ll have another coffee and then we’re in the studio by 5.45am, ready to go.”

Belle admits that swapping her producer hat for being a co-host will be a big change – but she laughs that she’s looking forward to “less piles of paperwork”!

However, the real challenge will be “letting go of worrying about what’s happening behind the scenes” – and just staying in the on-air moment.

“I just need to have fun and keep that on-air chemistry going – that’s the makings of a brilliant show,” Belle says.

Image: Supplied.

The other key to live broadcasting is the ability to adapt as news and events change. It’s something Belle’s accustomed to as a producer – and now she’ll have to manage it as a host too. “It’s fun, but it’s also a challenge to go: ‘Right, we’re not talking about Christmas decorations anymore, we’re crossing to the Ukraine to cover this breaking story.'”

But the one thing certain to make Belle’s on-air transition easier is her long-time working relationship with co-hosts Ben and Liam, who she’s produced at both nova in Adelaide as well as on Triple J in Sydney.

One of the show’s recent initiatives in Adelaide saw Ben and Liam broadcast from inside a glass box – and in the process fundraise $100K for Lifeline Australia. This incredible effort was recently acknowledged at the 2022 Australian Commercial Radio Awards – and Belle has already hinted that these kinds of initiatives are “definitely” on the cards when the show moves to Melbourne. “And we’re also still going to do all the other regular fun segments the boys already do,” Belle adds.

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A post shared by Ben, Liam and Belle (@benliamandbelle)

Once the show ends at 9am, Belle reveals that it’s actually lunch time for the team.

“People walk into the radio office to start their day – and Liam’s there having a curry and Ben’s cutting up a steak. And they’re like, ‘Why are you eating that at 9am?’ And I’m like, ‘Mate, we’ve been here since 4.30am!’”

After they’ve fuelled up, the remainder of the work day is filled with planning for the following days show, including pre-recording interviews and segments, as well as attending meetings with stakeholders.

“With radio, the best thing you can do is to make your show sound like it’s unplanned and you’re not really working,” Belle explains. “But behind the scenes, it’s just like any other job. You’ve got the meetings, you’ve got to go see the boss about that big thing coming up, and then you’re off to an all-station meeting about a big campaign or competition.”

But in amongst it all, Belle says there’s “a lot of silliness” throughout the day.

“You know we probably could get out an hour earlier if we didn’t spend so much time having fun.” Belle smiles.

After clocking off around 2pm, Belle says that at 3pm it’s (bizarrely) dinner time. “That’s my equivalent of 6pm.” Belle explains.

After that, Belle prioritises doing some form of physical activity, which she says is crucial for her physical and mental health. 

“The worst part of finishing work at 2pm is you do sometimes just want to eat and sleep for the rest of the day. But I make an effort to look after my fitness for the sake of my health.”

The presenter rotates between going to the gym, swimming laps in the pool or doing a pole-dancing class. 

“You need to get those endorphins – but it’s also really important for me to have that break from the day when it’s just me-time and I’m not looking at the newsfeed,” Belle explains. “I especially love doing laps in the pool because it’s a great way to just think through things and digest the day.”

After her fitness session, Belle spends the evening relaxing and unwinding – but never goes out on a work night.

“You can kiss weeknight dinners with friend’s goodbye once you do brekkie radio,” Belle laughs. “It just puts me completely out of whack, so Fridays and Saturdays are when I see friends and do catch-ups.”

By 7pm, Belle says she’s likely to have a glass of red wine in-hand and then she’s all tucked up in bed by 9.30pm at the absolute latest.

But the hard-working radio presenter admits she’s prone to checking her emails or reading up on the news right until bedtime. “I shouldn’t do it, but I do,” Belle admits. 

It may be a gruelling schedule, but for Belle the pay-off is that she’s living her dream job.

“I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am – and I’m not going to shy away from that fact. And I do it because I love what I do,” Belle says.

“I know this sounds corny, but ever since I met Ben and Liam, we just instantly hit it off. And it makes it so easy to go in everyday and see the boys, who I consider to be my best mates. 

“I mean, we’re there on-air saying: ‘Call us on 13 24 10, and tell us: What did your dog eat?’ 

"That’s our job! We can laugh and then we go off-air and the dynamic is exactly the same and we’re still having so much fun.”  

Listen to Ben, Liam & Belle weekdays from 6am to 9am on nova 100, or streamed via the nova Player. 

Feature Image: Supplied.