Sunrise's Nat Barr on 'feud' with Karl Stefanovic: 'Don't want them to win'

Sunrise's Nat Barr has opened up to Yahoo Lifestyle about her 'feud' with Today host Karl Stefanovic, revealing what their relationship is really like when the cameras aren't rolling.

"Well, we don't hate each other like everyone thinks everyone hates each other on TV," Nat tells us with a smile. "I see Karl here and there at things, we chat, we have nothing against each other."

Nat, who has been working on the Seven breakfast show for 20 years, then compared the Sunrise hosts' relationship with the Today hosts to that of two rival sports teams.

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"It's like people who play sport," she says. "You know, they chat off the field – we've just seen the Matildas have a brilliant campaign and look at them at the end – they all shake hands, and we've seen some of them hug the opposition and comfort them when they're crying.

"We chat and talk off the field, but I don't want them to win," Nat says of the Today team with a laugh. "Let's be serious, I don't want the opposition to win, and I'm sure they don't want us to win either! But, you know, we're not total enemies either – only on the field."

'A bit of pressure'

Speaking of the competitive nature of her job, Nat shares that there is "certainly a bit of pressure" to win the ratings every day.

"We get the ratings every day at nine o'clock," she says. "Our work is measured every day at nine o'clock, so, you know, if you don't like that – if it's too hot, get out of the kitchen! If you don't like that sort of measure on your work every day, you couldn't cope with this industry, because yeah, there's certainly a bit of pressure to perform."

Nat continues, "And we watch [the ratings], and the bosses watch them, and it's a commercial TV station, that's part of the deal. And the ratings do matter, but I think also what matters is doing a show that we're proud of, and that we think has covered all the important issues and had fun and had a great vibe and a great feeling."

The TV host adds that she hopes this translates to viewers at home and that they are left with a "good feeling" when they turn the TV off.

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