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Alan Jones admitted his critics were justified in condemning controversial remarks he made throughout his 35-year radio career, after announcing he will retire at the end of the month.

'Of course there are circumstances where you do regret [what you say] but you can't live your life with regret,' Jones told Nine News.

'If you had your time again you'd do things differently and I've been right to be condemned for some of the things I've said and done in the heat of the moment.

'But I think everyone that knows me knows I don't go about hurting people - I try to heal people.'

Jones, 79, was advised by doctors to step down from his spot on Sydney's 2GB radio station, after 35 years of dominating Sydney breakfast radio. 

Alan Jones admitted he's been rightfully condemned for making controversial comments throughout his 35-year radio career after announcing he will retire at the end of the month

Jones will receive his $4 million-a-year contract, which ends at the end of 2021, paid out in full - meaning he'll receive close to $6 million to leave the station. 

Jones made the shock announcement to his 2GB listeners on Tuesday morning, telling them he had been told by doctors that his intense workload was becoming detrimental to his health. 

The shock jock's career has been marred by polarising comments he's made both off and on air. 

He had to apologise in 2012 for saying then Labor PM Julia Gillard's father John had 'died of shame' to a Young Liberals function.

The broadcaster called for Australia's first female PM to be 'put in a chaff bag' and thrown in the ocean.

Just last year he called for Prime Minister Scott Morrison to 'shove a sock down the throat' of New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern, after she criticised Australia's stance on climate change.

Those comments saw advertisers desert the station, some of them never returning.

Sydney broadcaster Alan Jones (pictured) has announced he will retire from radio at the end of the month, after 35 years on the airwaves across 2UE and more recently 2GB

In a surprise move, 2GB appointed Ben Fordham - the station's drive host - as Jones' replacement instead of long-time morning host Ray Hadley who had been considered the likely successor.

The unexpected replacement was slammed by KIIS FM host Kyle Sandilands - whose show with Jackie 'O' Henderson is the main rival in the breakfast timeslot.

Sandilands described Fordham as a 'phony' and labelled the appointment 'a disaster' motivated by cost-cutting instead of merit. 

Hadley, 65, issued a short statement on his own show at 9am in which he highlighted the pressure on Fordham to perform as Jones' replacement, likening it to 'padding up after Bradman'.

Jones told listeners that he would continue as a commentator by writing his weekly newspaper column in The Australian and hosing his Sky News show alongside Peta Credlin, but that it was the right time to end his radio career. 

Jones (pictured with Jennifer Hawkins), 79, made the shock announcement to his listeners on Tuesday morning, telling them he had been told by doctors it was becoming detrimental to his health

'I have listened to the experts and I am taking this opportunity to indicate to my radio family that I will be retiring from radio at the end of this month,' Jones said. 

'We are living in the world of coronavirus. The most repeated statement we hear is 'we must listen to the experts', well, the experts are telling me in no uncertain terms, and not for the first time I might add, 'continuing with the present workload is seriously detrimental to your health'. 

'I have taken on extra load in television and print media but if I am to be serious about reducing the workload and listen to the experts then I've decided that the bulk of my workload is dominated by radio.

'I guess after 35 years the full stop has to go in somewhere. 

'I have listened to the experts and I am taking this opportunity to indicate to my radio family that I will be retiring from radio at the end of this month.

'I am not retiring, I am just retiring from radio.'

As an indication of Jones' continued influence in public life, callers to his show after the announcement included ex-Prime Minister Tony Abbott, NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and former Sydney talkback king John Laws. 

'Is it really true?' Mrs Berejiklian gushed.

'It is. You're to blame for this! You keep running around and saying we must listen to the experts,' Jones joked in response.

Over more than three decades in broadcasting, Jones became one of the biggest outside influences on Australian politics, regularly making or breaking leaders, particular NSW premiers. 

His colleague Ray Hadley, who joined 2GB in 2001 and has long won the mornings radio slot, had long been tipped by industry observers to be the man to take over the breakfast role when Jones retired.

Jones (left) signs the contract to join 2UE in March 1985, taking over the morning show from Mike Gibson (right). He remained at 2UE until 2002, when he signed a major contract at 2GB 

At the time he started his radio career with 2UE in 1985, Jones coaching the Australian rugby union team (pictured)

Jones will be replaced on the breakfast shift by Ben Fordham (left), who is currently 2GB's drive host. He told his listeners that despite the close friendship between them, he had 'absolutely nothing to do with the appointment'

Successful mornings host Ray Hadley (left) had long been expected to take over when Jones retired, but said he was 'very supportive' of the decision to give the job to Fordham (right) 

Hadley kicked off his morning show on Tuesday by saying he was supportive of the decision by management not to give him the role and that it should go to a younger host.  

'I have called Ben Fordham this morning and told him he is padding up to replace Bradman,' Hadley said.

'My success has been on the back of his success… Alan brought a huge chunk of audience from 2UE to 2GB.

'I am supportive of management's decision to give Ben the job,' he said.

'I don't think it would have been the correct decision to have given the breakfast role to a 65-year-old.

'I have a very loyal band of listeners… (and) I'll support Ben Fordham to the best of my ability.'

Jones is widely understood to have taken Fordham under his wing and advocated for him to join 2GB, but told his listeners he had 'nothing to do with the appointment or my successor and nor should I'.

'I wasn't aware of that until someone just plonked a press release on my desk,' Jones said. 

The decision to appoint Fordham, 43, will come as a surprise to many, as he previously stepped away from Nine's Today show because of the early mornings.  

Sandilands, who along with co-host Jackie 'O' are the highest paid presenters on radio, said the Fordham appointment was a mistake by 2GB.

'If you want to be yelled at by someone who knows nothing, Ben Fordham's your man. Friend of mine, but now a mortal enemy to the death,' he continued.

Kyle went on to say he 'doesn't mind Ben as a person but he's a bit of a phony'.

'I'm just being honest here. Nice enough, I don't know him well, but you can just tell this is a huge money-saving exercise over at 2GB.'

His retirement comes amid increasing pressure on Macquarie Radio's new owners, the Nine Network, and with whispers a plenty that top talent on TV and radio are being pressure to take pay cuts because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Jones started his radio career with 2UE in 1985, taking over the morning show role which had been vacated by the undisputed king of Sydney radio John Laws, who moved to 2GB.

But when Laws returned to 2UE in 1988, Jones was switched to the breakfast slot, a move that saw his popularity skyrocket. 

Together the pair formed a formidable partnership, with Laws among those to call and wish Jones well on Tuesday morning.

'I'm going to miss you. You and I have had the friendliest bitterness in the history of radio,' Laws said.

'I have nothing but the highest regard for you... you and I don't agree about everything, but you are fantastic.'

The conversation turned emotional when Jones asked Laws how he was doing, just two months on from the death of his wife Caroline.

When the phone lines were opened just minutes after his announcement, his good friend and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott (pictured), NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and one time colleague John Laws were among the first to congratulate him

Jones weathered many controversies with the support of Macquarie Radio owner and his close friend John Singleton, who had convinced him to switch to 2GB in 2002

Despite never making it into politics himself, Jones became one of the most influential voices at both federal and state level - making and breaking multiple prime ministers and premiers. Former Prime Minister John Howard (right) reportedly employed a staffer just to deal with him

'I'm OK, I'm sad, (but) I've got to thank you very much for being at the funeral. It was comforting to see you there Alan,' Laws said. 

Jones switched to 2GB in 2002 after persuasion from Macquarie Radio owner John Singleton and immediately took his new employer to the top of the ratings.

Jones had previously been a speech writer for Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser and in 1978 ran unsuccessfully as a Liberal by-election candidate in the state seat of Earlwood in Sydney's south, famously wearing Greek costume in a doomed bid to enter politics.

He then switched attention to rugby, becoming Australia's head coach and guiding the Wallabies to their famous 1984 Grand Slam tour of the UK and Ireland, and a drought-breaking Bledisloe Cup win over New Zealand in 1986.

Jones then established himself as the most powerful broadcaster in Sydney with his mixture of conservative talking points and a common touch that endeared him to a loyal listening base.

Before becoming a rugby union coach, Jones had unsuccessfully attempted to enter politics on a number of occasions at both state and federal level

His radio career was occasionally marked by controversy such as the Cash for Comment affair in which he took personal payments from companies for unscripted promotion of their products on air, and was subsequently forced to disclose such deals.

Regardless of his controversies listeners stayed loyal, with Jones dominating ratings surveys with 226 straight consecutive breakfast wins since joining 2GB in 2002. 

Before being a political adviser and broadcaster, Jones taught English at the Kings School at North Parramatta.

Future deputy prime minister and Nationals leader John Anderson was one of his students.