SINGAPORE – Radio station Kiss92 FM is set to launch a new morning show next Monday (July 19), helmed by Divian Nair and a newcomer to radio, award-winning actress Jo Tan.
Titled Wake Up And Go With Div & Jo, it goes on air from 6 to 10am on weekdays.
Tan, who won Best Actress at The Straits Times Life Theatre Awards 2020 for her self-written one-woman show Forked, is also a writer, singer, host and television actress.
Nair is part of the morning show’s current team, which includes DJ Maddy Barber and producer-presenter Andre Hoeden. Barber is leaving radio – her last show is on Friday (July 16) – to focus on her jewellery business, while Hoeden is moving into the role of content strategist for Kiss92 and ONE FM 91.3. Both English music stations are run by SPH Radio.
Tan, 38, says she has always admired the “fun, authentic vibe” of Kiss92 DJs. To prepare for her new role, she has been going into the studio to observe the team and has been speaking with a former DJ whom she admires, Petrina Kow.
She has also been having plenty of practice talking with Nair.
“Divian is great,” she says. “He’s smart, quick and kind, and he’s really walked me through the job step by step, based on things he wished he knew when he was new to radio.
“I think we have a similar sense of humour as well, so I definitely can think of far worse things to do than chat with Divian for a living.”
Nair, 34, is looking forward to going on air with his new co-host.
“To kick-start a new show on prime-time radio can be a daunting task for even the most experienced radio presenter,” he says. “However, having the chance to start with someone with completely different perspectives and experience in different fields is exciting.
“I am positive Jo and I will bring a different sound and vibe to the mornings of our listeners and we’ll strive to make it worth their while.”
He is also hoping to lean on Tan’s expertise to bring a more “theatrical side” to the topics that they discuss and the games that they play on air. “Radio, after all, is the theatre of the mind,” he says.
Meanwhile, he has been giving Tan tips on how to give her best for the morning show, such as getting enough rest.
“One of the toughest aspects of a morning radio is adjusting to the grind of waking up at 4am and bringing energy to the show even when you’re drained physically and emotionally. My hope is that Jo has as smooth a transition as possible.”
Tan, who once studied with renowned clown and theatre practitioner Philippe Gaulier in Paris, says the audience can expect a unique chemistry between her and Nair. “I think that since Divian and I are both in our 30s – he more than me – there will be certain things that we’ll focus on more because we find them funny or concerning.
“I’m also a geek about obscure topics, like Dungeons & Dragons, or clowning or thrifting or unpublicised events to attend, so I’m hoping to bring some new perspectives to this show too.”
The programme director for SPH Radio’s English music stations, Mr Bernard Lim, says Tan is the ideal co-host for Nair.
“Her witty and offbeat personality is highly disarming,” he says. “Div and Jo will bring new and interesting voices to our morning conversations and deliver a fresh, entertaining show for our discerning audience, while providing our partners with an engaging platform to connect with their consumers.”
