After a number of fill-in presenters since the short-lived Julie McCrossin quit in October saying the early starts were making her ill, ABC 702 has announced that Adam Spencer will host the Sydney local radio breakfast shift from February 27.

ABC local radio manager Roger Summerill has told radioinfo: “Adam is well known to 702 listeners and audiences across Australia and I know they’ll appreciate and enjoy his sharp wit, creative intelligence and warm energy as they start their day with him.”

A published author, once voted “Best Speaker in the World” at the World University Debating Championships, a sometime coach of women’s soccer and a recent full-time Dad, Spencer holds a first class honours degree in Pure Mathematics.

Many would be unaware of how wide his community involvement and commitment has been over the years. A current member of the Senate of the University of Sydney, he is also on the NSW Premier’s Advisory Committee on Greenhouse and Global Warming, is part of the NSW Health Department’s Clinical Ethics Review Committee and is an ambassador for the Redkite Organisation and the Fred Hollows Foundation while continuing to support numerous charities.

Early starts will be nothing new for Spencer as he hosted the Triple J breakfast show with Wil Anderson for six years until deciding to take a break to help raise his new baby.

He’ll start his new job on February 27 next year from 5.30am to 7.45. This will be followed by the news and AM with Virginia Trioli starting at the earlier time of 8.30am.