ABOVE: Miguel Fuller, Holly O’Connor and Scott Tavlin. Screenshot via “The Miguel & Holly Show” Facebook.
TAMPA BAY | “The Miguel & Holly Show” is ending after nearly seven years on Hot 101.5, co-hosts Miguel Fuller and Holly O’Connor announced Feb. 4.
Billed as “Funny. Authentic. Real,” the popular radio show began in 2015 and soon welcomed Scott Tavlin, who will remain with the station. Fuller and O’Connor read prepared statements on the air after being given the “unprecedented privilege … to say goodbye” to listeners.
Fuller, an openly gay Watermark contributor, broke the news during a “Miguel & Holly Family Meeting.” He and O’Connor began by thanking Cox Media Group and the show’s team for allowing them the opportunity to directly address supporters on the matter.
“It’s with a heavy heart that we say it’s time to pull back a little bit,” O’Connor shared. “It’s time for us to pull back and focus on us a little bit. Our dreams and our goals are constantly evolving and much like we always encourage you to do, it’s time for us to leap. We are jumping into our future, Miguel and I, into the unknown – hoping against all odds that you know how much we love you.
“Thank you for finding us. Thank you for becoming our family,” she continued. “Thank you for your support, your encouragement. Never stop learning about yourself, never stop asking why about you and your own precious life, never stop believing in yourself and never stop daring to do great things.”
Fuller spoke next.
“Almost seven years ago on March 31, 2015, Holly and I opened up the microphones on one of the biggest radio stations in the country and introduced ourselves to you,” he said. “We said ‘we are perfectly imperfect and we hope you come along for the ride.’ Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine the last seven years going the way they have.”
The co-host subsequently detailed various events and initiatives listeners supported, including book drives and celebrations including Tampa Pride, St Pete Pride and more. He, O’Connor and Tavlin regularly supported LGBTQ-focused events, including Watermark’s WAVE Awards.
“We’ve shared so many adventures together,” Fuller said. “If you’ve listened to this show for more than a day, you know that I’m a radio geek at heart. I love this medium and what it can do, but you listening have brought it to life. You let this poor, gay, Black kid from Atlanta, Georgia come here and fulfill his dreams.”
Fuller also reflected on the pandemic’s impact on the world, as well as how he’s evolved personally.
“When we interviewed for this job … I said, ‘I want Holly and I to be on the Hot 101.5 signal until they shove us into Shady Acres,” he noted. “But my life is different, my passions are different. My heart is different. And I’m ready for the next adventure.
“Thank you for allowing us to live our lives on the radio with you,” Fuller closed. “We love you.”
View the announcement below:
