Several well-known television names in the running to replace David Koch on Sunrise

The most high-profile job in Australian TV became vacant after David Koch stepped down as co-host of Sunrise. See who is in the running to replace him.

Several well-known television names are poised to step into the very big shoes of departing brekkie-show veteran David ‘Kochie’ Koch.

Sports presenter and former Olympian Matt Shirvington looks to be the frontrunner to helm ratings-juggernaut Sunrise alongside Natalie Barr, after covering for father of four Koch several times while he was on holidays.

Network executives were said to be impressed with the 44-year-old’s natural presenting during a lengthy stint filling in as co-anchor.

Matt Doran is in the running to replace Kochie. Picture: Bob Barker

While it had seemed that Weekend Sunrise star Matt Doran was Kochie’s heir apparent for years, his car-crash interview with British singer Adele in November 2021 – where he had flown to sit down with the chart-topping singer for Seven but admitted during the chat that he hadn’t actually listened to her new album 30 – has probably taken him out of the race.

Fellow Seven stablemate and golden boy Larry Emdur is another short-odds favourite.

The current Morning Show host took over the reigns of game show The Chase after Andrew O’Keefe’s fall from grace and has enjoyed stellar ratings in both roles. And sources say he can “do no wrong” at the network.

Another Sunrise veteran Mark Beretta is a potential strong contender following his successful stint filling in for Kochie during the Christmas holidays last year. Picture: Seven Network

Kochie has been reported to favour the network’s prized news reporter and presenter Michael Usher.

Usher has also filled in, taking over the morning hosting duties on Fridays in 2021.

Another Sunrise veteran Mark Beretta is a potential strong contender following his successful stint filling in for Kochie during the Christmas holidays last year.

He also jumped in last minute when Kochie had to step away from the newsdesk, when his bout with laryngitis meant he couldn’t continue the show. Beretta already has an established good rapport with Barr after starring on the show for over a decade.

Seven famously poached Dr Chris Brown from Ten this year. Picture: Supplied

Seven famously poached Dr Chris Brown from Ten this year. After wrapping his hosting duties with Julia Morris on this year’s I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here, he is due to start with the network in July. The 44-year-old could be a way out of left-field surprise candidate for the coveted role.

Quite apart from I’m A Celeb, he’s got significant hosting credit from his early days on Bondi Vet, to The Living Room and with regular experience on panel show The Project. Brown was even a contributor on Sunrise’s rival Today early on in his career.

Or could Sunrise head in an unexpected direction and bring back hugely popular former host Mel Doyle who co-hosted with Kochie for 12 years? Fans were stunned when she was replaced in 2013 by Sam Armytage. It would be an unusual move to pair two women in the cutthroat morning timeslot. Nine experimented with Georgie Gardner and Deborah Knight in 2019, but it didn’t exactly set the ratings on fire.

Or could Sunrise head in an unexpected direction and bring back hugely popular former host Mel Doyle who co-hosted with Kochie for 12 years? Picture: Supplied

Seven is expected to announce Kochie’s replacement by the end of the week. Whoever they choose, Nine will be hoping the Koch sudden departure will give their Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo-hosted Today show a chance to rise to the top in the cutthroat breakfast TV ratings battle.

Kochie has dominated the ratings in the competitive timeslot for most of the 21 years he has fronted Sunrise.

Monday’s announcement was quite a shock given Kochie just signed a new two-year deal with the network in October last year, expected to see him at the helm of the show until the end of 2024.

The 66-year-old had negotiated greater flexibility to allow him to take more breaks from the show to focus on his family and his business streaming service, ausbiz TV, along with his content marketing and video production business, Pinstripe Media.

Originally published as Several well-known television names in the running to replace David Koch on Sunrise