Robyn Williams has not been confirmed as leaving ABC Radio National’s The Science Show. The latest ABC program listings, dated 17 October 2026, credit Williams and Belinda Smith as presenters on new episodes. ABC has announced no final episode, retirement date or successor. The documented change in the program’s 51st year is the arrival of Smith as co-presenter, not Williams’ departure.
What the latest ABC listing says
ABC’s current The Science Show page lists new October 2026 episodes presented by Robyn Williams and Belinda Smith. The program remains in its regular Saturday schedule, and Williams continues to be named as a presenter.
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That makes the claim that Williams is leaving after 51 years inaccurate on the available evidence. Neither a last broadcast nor a handover date has been announced in the ABC material reviewed. There is also no named replacement for Williams.
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Belinda Smith became a co-presenter
In 2026, science journalist Belinda Smith joined Williams on the program. ABC science editor Jonathan Webb described the arrangement as the show welcoming a co-presenter after 50 years as a one-person presentation, with “the incomparable Robyn Williams” joined by Smith.
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The wording matters: Smith is a co-presenter, not a successor. Current episode credits continue to identify Williams, so the change should be understood as a new presenting partnership rather than a retirement transition.
Why “51 years” can be misleading
The Science Show began broadcasting on 30 August 1975, live from the 13th Pacific Science Congress in Vancouver. Its 50th anniversary was marked in 2025. The program is now in its 51st year on air, but that milestone does not document Williams’ exit.
How long has Robyn Williams hosted it?
Williams has been the program’s principal presenter since its launch in 1975. ABC anniversary coverage describes the show as an unusually long-running Australian radio program with the same principal presenter and credits Williams with helping generations of listeners understand complex research.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteOver more than five decades, the program has produced more than 2,600 editions and interviewed more than 100 Nobel Prize winners. Its guests have also included figures such as David Attenborough.
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Why the program remains significant
ABC describes The Science Show as covering the full range of scientific endeavour as well as major public-interest issues. Its reporting and interviews have addressed climate change, biodiversity, nuclear risk, forestry, asbestos, medical malpractice, scientific fraud, Australian discoveries and the practice of science communication.
The show’s role is broader than a weekly roundup of laboratory results. It has connected specialist work with a general audience and used broadcast interviews to examine how evidence affects health, the environment, technology and public policy.
Williams has explained the program’s development by saying: “The Science Show has been transformed over the years by the surprising brilliance of Australian research – how could one ignore such creative and useful revelations?” That combination of research coverage and accessible explanation is central to the program’s continuing identity.
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What listeners should expect now
- Williams remains involved: current ABC listings credit him on new episodes.
- Smith adds a second presenting voice: her role is co-presenter, not an announced replacement.
- The weekly service continues: the regular Saturday schedule remains listed by ABC.
- On-demand access remains available: listeners can use ABC’s broadcast and ABC Listen catalog for current and past programs.
What has not been announced
There is no published final episode for Williams, no retirement date and no successor announcement in the available ABC sources. Reports that he is leaving after 51 years therefore go beyond what the current listings establish. A future change is possible, but it would require a new, explicit ABC announcement.
The bottom line for the headline
The accurate status is that Robyn Williams continues to present The Science Show in the latest available ABC listings. The significant 2026 development is Belinda Smith joining him as co-presenter after the program’s first 50 years as a one-presenter show. Until ABC publishes a departure or succession notice, readers should not treat a claim that Williams is leaving as confirmed.
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