Sunrise shake-up: What David Koch told bosses before quitting

David 'Kochie' Koch has announced he will leave Sunrise in two weeks, ending months of rumours and speculation about when he might step down.

Speaking on the program on Monday morning, Koch, a father-of-four, said he was keen to spend more time with his family and focus on his other business interests in the finance and media space.

But just seven months ago, he was locked in talks bosses at Seven.

Following an Instagram post to mark his 20th year on the Sunrise desk, which many took as a suggestion he was intending to leave, the 67-year-old signed a new deal with the network, which he told The Australian’s Media Diary was to last two years.

Koch said he spoke with both CEO James Warburton and Seven chairman Kerry Stokes before signing the deal, and that he had been given increased flexibility as part of the new deal.

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“After 20 years, I’ve felt I needed more flexibility in my life with my wife Libby and my business interests,” Koch told the broadsheet.

“So when I mentioned leaving to Seven, James very kindly asked me whether we could work together on a plan that I wanted, which also kept my connection to the network and my focus on Sunrise.”

It’s unclear if Monday’s announcement was part of the deal, with Seven confirming in a statement after Koch’s resignation that the breakfast host would “remain a valued part of the Sunrise family and the broader Seven Network”.

Kochie steps away from Sunrise

In a statement released to media at the same time as he made the announcement on-air, Kochie said: “I have loved every single minute of my time at Sunrise, and I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved over the last 21 years. I've been privileged to experience so many adventures, to meet so many incredible people and to cover so many moments of history in the making. It really is the world's best job.

“What I'll miss most is working with the amazing Sunrise team, especially Nat, Beretta and Dave Walters who have been with me for virtually the entire time on the show. I reckon I've spent more time with them than my family and it has been an utter joy. I'll miss the Sunrise viewers who have energised me every single day.

“I've also appreciated the support of the Seven Network, from the Chairman down, for allowing me to be myself, for their understanding when I've stuffed up – which is more often than I'd like to admit – and for their constant encouragement and respect,” he said.

Why Kochie's leaving Sunrise

The 67-year-old star also addressed his family life, saying he's stepping down to focus more on spending quality time with his loved ones.

“I know I'm going to miss it enormously, but it's time for me to work business hours, and for Libby and I to have a bit more flexibility to enjoy our burgeoning family, to travel and focus on our family business interests in Pinstripe Media and the Ausbiz business channel. As everyone knows, I'm a finance nerd so you'll still see me pop up every so often on RBA board meeting days or covering other big financial news, but as a guest rather than host," he said.

Announcing the news on-air to Sunrise viewers, Kochie said: “After 20 consecutive premierships in the breakfast TV ratings game, I’m frankly finding it harder to get off the ground to take those speccy marks and I reckon it’s time to bring through the next generation. Let me tell you, I don’t want to be a list clogger.”

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Kochie pointed out that he began hosting Sunrise before Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and iPhones were all invented, and he’s “loved every single minute” of his time on the show.

“I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved here over the last 21 years,” he continued. “I've been privileged to experience so many great adventures, to meet so many incredible people, and to cover so many moments of history in the making. It really is the world's best job.

With NCA NewsWire

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