After 40 years of hosting the morning show on Toronto’s Chum 104.5 radio station, Canadian broadcaster Marilyn Denis has announced that she will be stepping away from the role this summer.
The 67-year-old Edmonton-born broadcaster started on the morning gig at CHUM FM with the “Roger, Rick and Marilyn” show in 1986, and currently hosts the morning drive slot from 5 to 9 a.m., called “The Marilyn Denis Show.”
Denis announced her plans to leave live on the air Thursday morning, and became a little teary-eyed as she reflected on her multidecade career.
“I wanted to make that announcement because I can’t hold a secret very well,” Denis told her co-host, David Corey.
‘(The show) is so much a part of my routine. And it’s so much fun. When it’s fun, it’s hard to leave, but it is time.”
Leading up to her final show on the program in the summer, the station will celebrate Denis’s career and legacy, according to a press release. More details, including the date of her last broadcast, will be released in the future.
“I’m getting emotional. I don’t want to get emotional,” Denis said on the air, while fighting back tears.
“There’s been rough times and good times and, you know, all sorts of world events and personal things like having a baby and, you know, getting a divorce and getting another divorce,” she said. “It’s a lifetime of things.”
Denis began her career in Moscow, Idaho, when she became the first female DJ at the local station before moving back to Calgary. She combined her radio hosting with TV broadcasting, covering sports, entertainment and weather earlier in her career. She spent 34 years in daytime television, with a 13-year stint leading “The Marilyn Denis Show” on CTV, which ended in 2023, and a 19-year run on Citytv’s “Cityline.”
Chum has not yet announced its plans for the early-morning slot.
“This is a fun show. I know a lot of people want this gig, I know they do. Do not call me. Do not call me,” Denis joked, adding that she would have to wake up around 2 a.m. to prepare for her show.
Denis was first heard on Toronto airwaves in 1986 after she auditioned to be Roger Ashby’s morning co-host at CHUM 104.5. Ashby retired in 2018, and was replaced by Jamar McNeil as the broadcast was rebranded to “Marilyn Denis & Jamar.” The show was renamed again in 2024, to “The Marilyn Denis Show” with Corey stepping in as co-host.
Corey, who has known Denis for 20 years, told the Star that she is his “best friend.”
“Marilyn is truly one of a kind,” Corey said. “Impossible to replace actually.”
“She will be so missed, not just by the CHUM audience, but by all of us that have worked with her each and every day.”
Corey started as the show’s program director in 2006 before moving to the hosting chair. He said that he’s happy to have Denis by his side for a few more months before she calls it quits.
Denis has won multiple awards throughout her career, including the Trailblazer Award, formerly called the Rosalie Award, in 2006, which honours Canadian women who have paved the way for others in radio broadcasting. She was appointed to the Order of Ontario in 2024.
Dave Daigle, vice-president of local TV, radio, and Bell Media Studios, said in a statement: “While we will all miss having Marilyn wake us up every morning, we are incredibly proud to have been her home for the last 40 years. Marilyn’s legacy will live on through everyone who has had the privilege of working with her, and all those she’s inspired.”
Tributes from fans and fellow broadcasters poured in after Thursday’s announcement. Lisa LaFlamme wrote on social media: “LEGEND! You’re the OG Marilyn — congratulations on an amazing career and an exciting next chapter!” Jeanne Beker wrote: “You’ll be sorely missed on the airwaves.”
Michael Bublé, who made several appearances on Denis’s radio and TV shows over the years, chimed in, saying, “we all love you M. Thank you for everything. You are the very best of the best Amiga.”
Denis’s son, sports broadcaster Adam Wylde, wrote, “not even sure how to process it yet. Been a big part of our lives. Congrats on an amazing run, Mom!”
Fans expressed their sadness in comments on the announcement video, but many said they were happy that Denis can finally sleep in.
