“I thought that was it”: The moment Clint Stanaway thought his career was over — before a new chapter began
For Clint Stanaway, one of the hardest moments of his career once felt like the end of the road.
Years later, the former Weekend Today star is preparing to become a father for the first time — and reflecting on how a professional setback he once struggled to accept eventually led him somewhere he never expected.
Now, with a baby on the way with close friend Eliza Paschke, Clint’s story has taken on a deeply personal new meaning.
“I thought that was it”
In a resurfaced interview from the Dos and D podcast, recorded in December 2024, Clint opened up about the moment his radio career with ARN came to an abrupt end.
At the time, he and Lauren Phillips were hosting the Jase & Lauren breakfast show, which had been building strong momentum in Melbourne.
Clint recalled that their final survey of the year had delivered a rating of around 9 or 9.2, putting the program at number two in Melbourne FM.
“We were having a lot of fun,” he remembered.
Then came the conversations behind the scenes.
Clint and Lauren were told their contracts would not be renewed.
For Clint, the news was particularly difficult to process.
“I thought that that was it,” he admitted.
He explained that opportunities on major FM networks were limited, particularly in Melbourne, where competition was fierce.
After years of building his career across television and radio, suddenly finding himself without that place was a confronting experience.
The decision that changed the next chapter
The Melbourne breakfast show was axed in 2023 as ARN prepared to bring the Kyle & Jackie O Show to the market.
At the time, Clint had no idea that the career setback would eventually lead to something much better.
The show was later picked up by Nova, becoming Jase, Lauren & Clint.
And what initially felt like a devastating professional blow eventually became a turning point.
Clint has since described the following period as one of the most enjoyable 12 months of his life.
Now, the show has become part of a very different chapter — one in which Clint is preparing for a milestone far removed from ratings and radio surveys.
A new life beyond the studio
In April 2026, Clint spoke candidly about how different his life felt after stepping away from the relentless pace that had once consumed him.
After previously experiencing burnout, he said his life now “feels different” and “feels right”.
He even joked that he had become a “professional sleeper”.
But the long, quiet mornings are unlikely to last much longer.
Because later this year, Clint will become a father.
The baby news that changed everything
Clint is expecting his first child with his close friend, former The Block star Eliza Paschke.
The pair are not romantically involved. Instead, they have chosen a co-parenting arrangement and have openly spoken about creating a family that may look different from the traditional model, but will be filled with love.
When Clint first announced the news in June, he spoke emotionally about seeing the baby’s first scan.
He described the moment as overwhelming and said hearing the heartbeat took his breath away.
For someone who had spent years navigating an exhausting career, fatherhood represents an entirely new kind of beginning.
And there was one person he desperately wished had been there to hear the news.