As we bid farewell to 2024, Kyle Unfug shares her top 10 Johnjay and Rich highlights from the year.
10. Lovepup and Bluey
Our 2024 Lovepup Family Fest featured a special guest… BLUEY! Like most moms with young kids, our family is Bluey-obsessed. I was pumped to have my kids get a meet-and-greet with the blue dog, but my son has an immense fear of mascots, so to my dismay, he opted out of meeting Bluey.
9. Our Show's Olympics
In true Johnjay and Rich fashion, we decided to hold our own Olympics in lieu of the summer games. We ran the torch around our building and did foot races with trash can hurdles.
8. Scottsdale’s Taylor Swift-themed Airbnb
When Lavender Haze Playce, the Taylor Swift-themed Airbnb, opened in Scottsdale, we scored a first look. The rental has gone viral, curated by celebrity interior designers and redesigned with some of Swift’s most memorable moments. Bedrooms flaunt multiple eras spanning 1989, Folklore, Evermore, and Reputation.
7. Jay Pharaoh in studio
One of the funniest moments of 2024 was when Jay Pharaoh dropped by the studio to promote his comedy show. He does incredible impressions and has such a fun personality. Our radio interviews usually last about 8 minutes, but we chatted with Jay for a half hour! Check him out on IG… he has over a million followers.
6. Rich’s daughter’s graduation
I’ve been working with Johnjay and Rich over 15 years, so we undoubtedly share family milestones together. This year, we got to celebrate Rich’s daughter Audrey’s high school graduation. It’s wild because when I joined the show, she was 3 years old! Our radio team is like family.
5. Waste Management 2024
I’ve coined a term within the Johnjay and Rich show: “SHWANDING,” which means: “show bonding.” It’s my term for events we do together as a team. One of my most beloved “shwanding” moments of the year was braving the rain at the WMPO. Due to weather, they stopped the actual golf tournament, but that didn’t stop our posse from having a good time.
4. Teddy Swims swings by the show
We had artist Teddy Swims in studio for an interview and surprised him with a bunch of puppies. As he cuddled one of the dogs, there was a magical moment when Swims teared up, sharing his dog had recently crossed the rainbow bridge. Raw with emotion, he shared how healing it was to slow down and snuggle with some sweet healing pups.
3. Meeting Ellen K
There’s an annual event called "Morning Show Boot Camp" where morning shows from all over the country come together to share ideas, attend seminars, and collaborate. For the first time, our team attending together, and my personal highlight was meeting Ellen K. Ellen K is literally a radio legend and currently hosts a big morning show in Los Angeles. Meeting her was a dream come true.
2. Grant’s wedding in Vegas
The ultimate SHWANDING event of the year was our trip to Vegas for the wedding of our show member, Grant Inman. Grant and Caitlin’s ceremony was gorgeous; we were all blessed to witness their special day.
1. Addie, my girl
My 10-year-old daughter begged to come to work with me over fall break. I had her come in and she got to host a game on the show and her giant personality truly shined. It was a proud mama moment for sure. Addie even told me she wants to be on the radio when she is older, like me! It was a moment I will never forget.
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Kyle Unfug is the fab and fun co-host of the wildly popular syndicated Johnjay & Rich Morning show. Since 2003, she’s been on KissFM Phoenix and is also the former co-host of 3TV’sYour Life Arizona. Kyle can still be found on broadcast airwaves dishing the low-down on celebrity news.