Nelson Aspen announces he’s leaving Sunrise after 20 years

After almost 20 years as Sunrise’s New York correspondent, showbiz reporter Nelson Aspen has dropped a big revelation on-air this morning.

Nelson Aspen has announced he’s leaving Sunrise after almost 20 years.

The veteran showbiz reporter for the Channel 7 breakfast program, who is based in New York, revealed the big news on-air this morning.

“After 19 and a half years with Sunrise, I am giving you my two-week notice,” he told co-host Natalie Barr and fill-in host Michael Usher.

“You’ll have me here for two more weeks,” he added, with his final day on-air to be July 15.

‘I'm giving you my two weeks notice’: Nelson Aspen is leaving Sunrise after almost 20 years.

Aspen, 58, said he wanted to focus on other projects, including his new interiors book, Your Home Is Your Castle.

“I’m going to show you how to either make your new home or bloom where you’re already planted,” he explained.

“Then I’ll be going on a book tour and a new concert Q&A show, so I’m looking forward to that.”

Barr, who has been with Channel 7 for Aspen’s entire stint, paid tribute to her longstanding colleague during the segment.

“Nelson, it has been a wonderful ride and we will miss you,” she said.

“But this is not goodbye, because we’ve got two weeks to say that.”

Reese Witherspoon and Nelson Aspen.

Aspen rubbing shoulders with Hugh Jackman.

Despite hailing from the US, Aspen has been a fixture on Aussie TV screens for two decades, having covered countless Hollywood award shows and hundreds of A-list celebrity interviews for Sunrise.

He was recently recognised as International Media Journalist of the Year by the Publicists Guild of America in 2020, with the award presented by Friends actress Jennifer Aniston.

Seven is yet to reveal who will replace Aspen.

Nelson Aspen with former Sunrise co-host Sam Armytage and current host David Koch.

It comes after Sunrise co-host David Koch recently made headlines for announcing he was taking three weeks off the show to attend his daughter’s wedding in London.

Koch, a father of four, looked delighted as she he shared the happy news last week.

“Georgie is getting married, the last of the four, so it’s going to be good,” he said.

He added that he would be sharing a house with his future son-in-law Alex’s parents while in the UK.

“We’re all sharing a house with he and his parents before the wedding and we’ve never met,” Koch said.

“It’ll either be Father Of The Bride or Nightmare On Elm Street. It will be a bit of fun.”

As well as having four kids, Koch and his wife Libby have eight grandchildren.