Kevin Frankish aims to give 'BT' some 'competition' with new morning gig on Toronto's AM 640

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A familiar face is going to be helping you get ready for work. But you won’t be seeing Kevin Frankish’s face, instead you’ll be listening to him as he takes over from Greg Brady as the host of Toronto Today on 640 Toronto.

Brady has announced he is stepping away from the microphone to pursue his political aspirations as part of the federal Conservative Party in his hometown of Ajax.

“This isn’t about ‘leaving’ something — it’s about sprinting ‘towards’ something of critical importance,” Brady wrote in a message shared to social media. “I believe we can right some of the wrongs in our country. I think we have had all the wake-up calls we need — in the last 4 months … & in the last 9 1/2 years.”

Frankish will step into Brady’s timeslot as the host of Toronto Today with Kevin Frankish, which will air weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET. According to a press release, the show is aiming to provide Canadians “with insightful and timely coverage during this crucial election period.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining the team at 640 Toronto – a powerful place for important conversations,” Frankish said in a statement. “Every morning, I am going to do my best in trying to help you make sense of what is becoming an increasingly senseless world. I will be asking the questions of newsmakers, and demanding the answers I know that you want, however, I will always try to send you off into your day in a positive way.”

Frankish is best known for his long-running stint on Breakfast Television, which he co-hosted for 27 years before his shocking departure in 2018.

“Many of you who started watching me as kids, come up to me now with kids of your own. Some of you may remember when I proposed to my wife on air. I have shared with you the birth of all four of my children,” he said following his sudden exit nearly seven years ago. “When I had that panic attack on air, I shared that with you and we have since gone on a journey of my battle with depression together. Many of you in turn have shared so many of your stories. We are truly family.”

After his ouster, Colette Watson, senior vice-president of TV and broadcast operations for Rogers Media, said Frankish was going to stay on with the company to work on special projects.

“We’ve kept Kevin for Toronto audiences long enough! Now we’re excited for Kevin to entertain and inform viewers across Canada through these new, original primetime specials,” she said at the time. But Frankish faded into the background, eventually becoming a mental health advocate, communications specialist, podcaster, journalism instructor and onetime host of the afternoon show on 105.9 in Vaughan.

Following his dismissal, Frankish was replaced on BT by Citytv veteran Roger Petersen, who himself was jettisoned just two years later.

Frankish teased his followers on X that an announcement was on the way, sharing self-shot video early Tuesday morning, joking, “I did not miss getting up in the middle of the night.”

He quickly dashed hopes that he was returning to BT, which welcomed Frankish’s former co-host Dina Pugliese back to the fold this week.

“That broke my heart years ago,” he said. “That ship has sailed a long time ago. But, I guess I’m going to be a bit of competition for them.”

mdaniell@postmedia.com