A year after quitting Seven, Chris Bath is back on Sunday Night

A YEAR after sensationally quitting Channel Seven, Chris Bath is back with a guest role on Sunday Night.

CHRIS Bath sensationally quit Channel Seven a year ago after more than 20 years with the network.

Now the former newsreader and Sunday Night host is back. Close friends of Bath asked her to tell their story after their daughter was hit by the truck in the Bastille Day attack in Nice.

Bath will deliver the special report on Sunday Night after Seven wraps its Olympics coverage.

And while Bath is adamant the story is a one-off, it’s a move which proves Seven West Media chief Kerry Stokes was serious -— and seriously prophetic — when he said last year he preferred to look upon her shock departure as “a sojourn”.

“I feel really privileged to be doing this for my friends,” Bath told news.com.au.

“It’s a special guest appearance.”

The radio gig is one of a number Bath has taken on since quitting Seven in June last year, and Melissa Doyle stepped into her vacant role of weekend newsreader and Sunday Night host.

Bath was adamant the decision was hers alone, shrugging off rumours of conflict, acrimony, and pay disputes, saying it wasn’t about money, she was planning a holiday, and then she’d “see what was out there” after 20 years.

She’s mixed that downtime with appearances on Channel Ten’s The Project, co-hosting Studio Ten, the ABC radio gig, various freelance writing and presenting roles, writing newspaper columns and continuing her work as an advocate for the National Stroke Foundation.

Meanwhile at Seven, the landscape has significantly changed.

News and current affairs chief Craig McPherson was installed last year after Bath’s departure, and longtime news chiefs Chris Willis and Rob Raschke left as part of the overhaul of news operations.

Sunday Night has a new executive producer in former Nine veteran Hamish Thomson after Steven Taylor left last month.

More recently, Seven’s securing of ex-60 Minutes reporter Michael Usher to read weekend news and work on the upcoming Seven News Investigates series will see Doyle become fulltime Sunday Night host.

Privileged to tell this story for friends of mine @sundaynighton7 about love, courage & the kindness of strangers. https://t.co/CfiNEw2Zq7

— Chris Bath (@ChrisBathTV) August 18, 2016

Sunday Night returns after #7Olympics with this special report from our great mate @ChrisBathTV #SN7 pic.twitter.com/ZakDeRBZvT

— sunday night (@sundaynighton7) August 18, 2016

Bath tweeted and Instagrammed her return with the story of 22-year-old Aussie Adelaide Stratton, who suffered horrific injuries when she was mowed down in the Bastille Day terror attack in Nice.

Stratton was saved by a Frenchman, the only person who saw that she was still alive and rescued her.

“Privileged to tell this story for beautiful friends of mine. It's about courage, love and the kindness of strangers. A special guest appearance @sundaynighton7 to help my wonderful friends, the Strattons, after the Olympics,” she wrote.

Sunday Night tweeted about the special report from “our great mate @ChrisBathTV” after a promo for the story aired amid its Olympic coverage,

A network spokesman echoed the sentiment today: “Chris has brought Australians many compelling stories over her 20 years with Seven” adding the story is “an emotional one, incredibly close to Chris’ heart”.

“Adelaide and her family are among Chris’ dearest friends. She has been with them every step of the way as Adelaide faces a very long road to recovery.”

Bath with her husband, Seven sports’ Jim Wilson at her farewell last year. Picture: Tim Hunter