Sunrise's Nat Barr fires back at Kyle Sandilands over offensive 'senile' joke about former co-host Kochie
- Replies 16
Retirement is rarely an easy thing to deal with, particularly for someone who has held the same job for over two decades. That was the case for David 'Kochie' Koch, who retired from Seven's Sunrise after 21 years as the show's former co-host.
The seasoned news presenter made the announcement late last month, prefacing it with a comment about how the world has changed since the start of his career with the breakfast show.
He said he was privileged to have the honour of reporting on 'moments of history in the making' and to meet so many interesting people in all those years.
Kochie's goodbye was met with sad and emotional reactions, including from his co-host Nat Barr, who had worked with Kochie for four years. She tearfully said, 'We all love him here,' in agreement with Kochie's statement on how great a job it was.
Kochie's farewell was met with an entirely different kind of reaction from KIIS FM's Kyle Sandilands, who about a week later made a controversial joke about Kochie's cognitive ability at age 67, taking it upon himself to declare Kochie's soon-to-come senility.
'He's only weeks away from not knowing what his name is,' Sandilands said on the Kyle & Jackie O Show.
At this comment, Nat snapped back, alerting Sandilands that he was being inappropriate.
'Stop it!' she said sternly. 'You were nice to him when he came here. Now you're saying he's senile. That's not good.'
Sensing Nat's displeasure, Kyle quickly changed the topic but reiterated that Kochie and the radio host would 'never speak again' once the news presenter retired from the spotlight.
This did nothing to ease Nat's frustration. Again, she reprimanded him for his words about her friend and former co-host.
'He genuinely believed that you were a nice guy,' Nat said.
'I am,' replied the controversial shock-jock, to which Nat insisted 'only when you're in front of people'.
At this point, Nat had had enough of Kyle's talk and quickly closed the topic.
For many Aussies, starting their day with Kochie and a warm cuppa has been a comforting routine for over two decades. Kochie's demeanour, financial expertise, and strong connection with viewers have made him an indispensable part of the popular breakfast show.
However, his departure from Sunrise after an incredible 21 years marked the end of an era for the show and the loyal viewers who cherished his presence every morning.
Stepping down was a difficult decision for Kochie. Nevertheless, he said he eagerly looks forward to embracing regular business hours and spending more quality time with his wife, Libby, and their growing family.
In addition to focusing on his family, the host intends to dedicate his energy to his business interests in Pinstripe Media and the Ausbiz business channel. Kochie also hinted that he might occasionally appear on the network to cover important financial news.
Retirement can feel overwhelming for anyone, but at 67, Kochie has truly earned the right to unwind and savour his newfound leisure time without worrying about others' opinions or critiques.
At the SDC, we extend our warmest wishes to Kochie as he embarks on this new chapter of his life. We have no doubts that he will forever be an esteemed and cherished personality in Australian television.
What are your thoughts on this news story, folks? Let us know in the comments below!
The seasoned news presenter made the announcement late last month, prefacing it with a comment about how the world has changed since the start of his career with the breakfast show.
He said he was privileged to have the honour of reporting on 'moments of history in the making' and to meet so many interesting people in all those years.
Kochie's goodbye was met with sad and emotional reactions, including from his co-host Nat Barr, who had worked with Kochie for four years. She tearfully said, 'We all love him here,' in agreement with Kochie's statement on how great a job it was.
Nat Barr defended her former Sunrise co-host during an on-air chat with Kyle Sandilands. Credit: Instagram/sunriseon7, Instagram/kyleandjackieo.
Kochie's farewell was met with an entirely different kind of reaction from KIIS FM's Kyle Sandilands, who about a week later made a controversial joke about Kochie's cognitive ability at age 67, taking it upon himself to declare Kochie's soon-to-come senility.
'He's only weeks away from not knowing what his name is,' Sandilands said on the Kyle & Jackie O Show.
At this comment, Nat snapped back, alerting Sandilands that he was being inappropriate.
'Stop it!' she said sternly. 'You were nice to him when he came here. Now you're saying he's senile. That's not good.'
Sensing Nat's displeasure, Kyle quickly changed the topic but reiterated that Kochie and the radio host would 'never speak again' once the news presenter retired from the spotlight.
This did nothing to ease Nat's frustration. Again, she reprimanded him for his words about her friend and former co-host.
'He genuinely believed that you were a nice guy,' Nat said.
'I am,' replied the controversial shock-jock, to which Nat insisted 'only when you're in front of people'.
At this point, Nat had had enough of Kyle's talk and quickly closed the topic.
For many Aussies, starting their day with Kochie and a warm cuppa has been a comforting routine for over two decades. Kochie's demeanour, financial expertise, and strong connection with viewers have made him an indispensable part of the popular breakfast show.
However, his departure from Sunrise after an incredible 21 years marked the end of an era for the show and the loyal viewers who cherished his presence every morning.
Stepping down was a difficult decision for Kochie. Nevertheless, he said he eagerly looks forward to embracing regular business hours and spending more quality time with his wife, Libby, and their growing family.
In addition to focusing on his family, the host intends to dedicate his energy to his business interests in Pinstripe Media and the Ausbiz business channel. Kochie also hinted that he might occasionally appear on the network to cover important financial news.
Retirement can feel overwhelming for anyone, but at 67, Kochie has truly earned the right to unwind and savour his newfound leisure time without worrying about others' opinions or critiques.
At the SDC, we extend our warmest wishes to Kochie as he embarks on this new chapter of his life. We have no doubts that he will forever be an esteemed and cherished personality in Australian television.
What are your thoughts on this news story, folks? Let us know in the comments below!
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