Matty Siegel poses for a photo while hosting "Matty in the Morning" on Sept. 19, 2019. (Courtesy photo/Nic Antaya for The Boston Globe)
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BOSTON — After going AWOL from Kiss 108 FM for over a week, Matty Siegel, the longtime host of “Matty in the Morning” announced his retirement Tuesday morning.
“My great wife and great kids talked with me over the last several weeks and helped me come to a decision and the decision is this, as of now I am retired,” said Siegel. “I am leaving Kiss 108 and starting my new life as a mediocre golfer.”
Since April 19, Billy Costa and producers Justin Aguirre and Winnie Akoury have been filling in for Siegel and his co-host Lisa Donovan on “Matty in the Morning.” The popular duo left the airwaves unannounced on April 19.
After fans took to Twitter and Reddit seeking answers, I broke the story of Siegel’s retirement, which was then picked up by the mainstream media hours later. Siegel, 72, told The Globe last night that he was planning on making an announcement, which took place Tuesday morning at 8 a.m.
“It’s been such a glorious run,” said Siegel, who has been a morning host at WXKS-FM since 1981. “When I think back to when I started in radio making $2 an hour, I never thought I would amount to this.”
Siegel said that aside from a few “blips,” he tried the best he could to be “light and fun” over the years, especially during the pandemic.
One of the so-called “blips” he may have been referring to was from May of last year when he walked off the show after station management told him to stop referring to (and joking about) musician Demi Lovato’s announcement that they were non-binary.
“This past year has been pretty rough for me. I blame surgery. I had a broken foot. I started getting a little grumpy on the radio which I hate because all I want to do is make people laugh,” said Siegel. Later adding, “I got off target, I guess you could say.”
Siegel then added that after 42 years at Kiss “it’s time.” He then recalled how he interviewed Oprah, Tom Hanks and Hillary Clinton on her election day, and “even though it [Clinton’s election] didn’t turn out so well, we joked, it was such a thrill.”
“It feels very possible I could cry and I don’t think it’s very manly to cry over a radio show,” he said, and then signed off for good.
It’s unknown whether Donovan is going to return to the morning show.
