Natalie Barr Disappears from 'Sunrise' & Is Replaced By A New Host

On Tuesday morning, Sunrise viewers were taken aback when Natalie Barr disappeared from the show. Her co-anchor, David 'Kochie' Koch, was reading the 8:00 am news bulletin when Barr snuck out of the studio. She was replaced by fill-in presenter Monique Wright, leaving viewers confused.

When the cameras returned to the news desk at 8:01 am, the voiceover welcomed back "Kochie and Nat," but Monique was sitting in Barr's chair.

As the team laughed off the sudden change, Monique joked, "Nat just scurried out, and I happened to have been under the couch."

Kochie was totally left scrambled at that, and he couldn't help but scream, "What the hell?" Everyone burst into laughter again, and all the good fun continued.

Kochie then explained why Natalie was forced to make a quick exit, revealing she had just scored an "exclusive interview" and had a flight to catch. "She's dashing to the airport as we speak. We'll bring that to you tomorrow," he said. "In the meantime, Monique is in the chair for the rest of this morning," he continued.

No further details were given about Natalie's upcoming interview. Her sudden exit from Tuesday's show follows news that Kochie is planning his retirement. In October, he re-signed with Seven for another two years, agreeing to a contract extension locking him in until the end of 2024 but negotiated for "greater flexibility" in his schedule.

Before joining Sunrise, Natalie Barr was a newsreader and journalist for Seven News in Sydney. She has been a journalist for over 20 years and has won numerous awards for her reporting.

Monique Wright is a respected journalist and presenter who has worked for Seven News for over 20 years. She has presented on various programs, including Today Tonight, Sunday Night, and Seven's coverage of major news events.

Monique is no stranger to filling in on Sunrise. She has previously filled in for regular hosts and is a well-known face on the program.

During the meeting with Seven Network CEO, James Warburton, Kochie expressed his interest in retiring.

Warburton convinced him to put off his retirement plans for another two years.

Kochie hopes to spend more time with his wife, Libby, and focus on his businesses, Ausbiz TV and Pinstripe Media.

Billionaire chairman of the Seven Network, Kerry Stokes, played a "pivotal role" in Kochie's contract renegotiations. “I'm grateful to James and Kerry Stokes that they approached it this way,” he said.

Stokes continued, “I've had long chats with both of them, and they asked me is there a way to come up with a plan that gives you the flexibility you want, and gives you a connection to the network and a continuing focus on Sunrise. I love it dearly. So I'm really fortunate to have the best of all worlds.”

Kochie further upgraded her contract in October with Seven to last till the end of 2024 and continue her fruitful collaboration with the organization.

Kochie already has a relaxed work schedule, hosting Sunrise four days a week and taking Fridays off.

Natalie Barr has been a co-host of Sunrise since 2019. Before that, she had been the show's newsreader for 15 years. Her sudden disappearance from the show has left fans wondering if she will be returning or if this is the beginning of the end of her tenure on Sunrise.

Sources told Daily Mail Australia that Kochie was swayed towards staying by the prospect of covering King Charles' coronation at Westminster Abbey in May.

Natalie Barr is expected to return to Sunrise after her exclusive interview. In the meantime, Monique Wright will be filling in for her on the show.

Since 2004, Sunrise has won every rating year over its rival, Today, and has won every week across the five-city metro market since 2018. Kochie has been a critical part of that success and is a beloved figure on the show.

Despite Kochie's plans for retirement and his renegotiated contract, it is clear that Seven's bosses are keen to keep him on Sunrise for as long as possible.