Canadian broadcast legend Marilyn Denis said farewell to listeners on Friday morning, June 26, 2026, after 40 years hosting the morning show on CHUM 104.5. During her final broadcast, Denis fought back tears as she thanked her family, colleagues, and the station's loyal audience.
Emotional Final Broadcast
“It’s time for me to say goodbye,” Denis said. “I can’t believe I’m saying this. I wrote everything down because I wanted to make sure I didn’t forget a thing.” She called hosting the program “a privilege,” a role she joined in 1986 alongside Roger Ashby.
Denis thanked her girlfriends and family in Toronto, Western Canada, and the U.S. for “cheering me on.” She also paid tribute to “the incredible teams that are behind the scenes” for making her daily work possible, and thanked Bell Media for “an elegant and generous exit and for trusting me with this morning show for all these years.”
“To you, the CHUM listening family — from the kids who fell asleep with their transistor radio under the pillow, to everyone who has us on in the car, the kitchen or streaming on their phones right now — you’ve always been the heartbeat of this station,” she said.
Roger Ashby Returns for Final Show
Ashby, Denis’ co-host for over 30 years, returned for her final broadcast and said their chemistry was instantaneous. “You and I knew almost instantly … I knew I did … that you were the one,” he said. When Ashby retired in 2018, he credited Denis for the show’s success: “It’s easy to get up early every morning when you love your job and the people you work with.”
Tributes from Celebrities and Colleagues
During her last month on air, celebrity pals including Michael Buble, Jann Arden, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, and Donnie Wahlberg called in. Fashion Television’s Jeanne Beker called Denis’ sign-off “perfect,” joking, “I’m signing us up for pottery classes. Who needs a new ashtray?” Glass Tiger’s Alan Frew and HGTV’s Bryan Baeumler called her “legendary,” while comedian Gerry Dee thanked her for giving him his first interview: “You were always so kind. ALWAYS!!! Thank you.”
Career Highlights
Born in Edmonton, Denis began her career at KRPL in Moscow, Idaho, in 1976 as the first female DJ. She later moved to Calgary, holding roles as programmer, music director, and traffic reporter, and freelanced for TSN. She became a Toronto staple after auditioning to co-host with Ashby at CHUM 104.5 in 1986.
Denis also hosted the four-time Canadian Screen Award-winning TV program The Marilyn Denis Show for 13 seasons, ending in 2023, and hosted Cityline for 19 years from 1989 to 2008. She is a three-time Gemini Award winner.
What’s Next for CHUM 104.5
Denis’ morning show will be replaced by Nat & Josie, hosted by Nat Hunter and Josie Dye, debuting July 6, 2026. Hunter said, “If there was ever a job worth waiting to come home for, it’s this one. It’s an incredible honour to follow the legend that is Marilyn Denis.” Dye added, “Waking up with Toronto is the most surreal feeling in the world, and doing it with Nat will be epic.”
Denis closed her final broadcast by reflecting on her job interview at CHUM FM’s former location at 1331 Yonge Street. She recalled hearing Mike and the Mechanics’ “All I Need is a Miracle” in a cab and thinking, “I’m never going to forget this song, where I was, how I felt. It’s been just that. Thank you so much, everybody.”
