Tom Elliott says a chance encounter with an old friend from university in the early 1990s is the reason he’s the host of 3AW Drive today.

Tom said Kate Paton, who was reading the news on community station 3RRR at the time, had encouraged him to give radio a go after they bumped into each other at a function in 1993.

“I was always in awe of her and her ability to do radio and television and if I hadn’t bumped into her back in early 1993 I wouldn’t be doing this job now,” Tom said on Tuesday.

Sadly, Kate died last week.

She was 53.

Press PLAY below to hear Tom Elliott’s story + tribute to Kate Paton

Picture: Getty iStock