Culture

John Safran And Father Bob Are Calling It Quits After 10 Years On Triple J

On the bright side, Safran has a new book in the works.

by Meg Watson  30 November 2015

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After more than a decade spent discussing religion, generally bickering, and creating surprisingly deep portions of long-haul road trips, John Safran and Father Bob Maguire are finishing up Sunday Night Safran on triple j. The news was announced at the beginning of last night’s show by Safran as he gave details about a new project he’d be working on.

“Dear listeners and Father Bob, you know we live in a very secular country and people look to me to try and understand religion,” he said. “If you’re one of those people I have good news and I have bad news.”

“The good news is that I’m off. I’m off on a little book adventure where I’m going around the country and looking into Islam and anti-Islam in modern-day Australia. That’s the book I’m working on which will be out late next year. The bad news is that this is the last year of Sunday Night Safran.”

At the end of the show, the news was officially announced on the triple j Facebook page. The duo’s final show will air on Sunday, December 13.

Over the past ten years, the pair have done a whole lot of good with their weekly two-hour slot. They’ve provided a platform for voices from the diverse religious and community sector. They’ve regularly delved into in-depth debate on topics like philosophy and morality. They made an 81-year-old Catholic priest not only a household name and entertaining media personality, but also a Kanye impersonator.

Tributes are flowing accordingly, though it’s not yet clear if Father Bob will now be focussing on his musical career. One can only pray.

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The final episodes of Sunday Night Safran will air 9-11pm on Sunday, December 6 and December 13.