Natalie Barr has been celebrating a year since she took over as co-host of Sunrise alongside David Koch, but no amount of television glory compares to the reunion with her family.
The Bunbury-raised presenter is so close to home, she can almost taste the southwestern air.
“We are finally getting there for the first time in over two years and are over in a few weeks,” Barr said of AAA.
“I can not really believe it – we’ve canceled the last two Christmases, so when we get there we’ll go straight down to Dunsborough and then back to Bunbury.
“It’s taken too long, so I’m very happy. Like thousands of other West Aussies, we feel so happy to be back.
Speaking of feeling at home, despite the shake-up in the lineup, Barr has been part of Seven Breakfast’s program for 20 years now.
“I think everyone starts a new job with a little bit of fear before they commit, and now I feel really comfortable in that position,” she said.
The program also managed to hold its place as a top rated breakfast show nationally, a record it has held for the past 18 years.
Credit: Delivered by Seven
The daily habit of checking the ratings also kept the bar on the teeth.
“I think you have to be very relaxed when you work in television and not review them because ratings are our bread and butter,” she said.
“You can not rest on your laurels, because even if you win the ratings, there is still room for improvement every day.
“After being on the show for 19 years, and watching it last year, it went by really fast and it was such busy news, too.”
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With the ongoing pandemic, the war in Ukraine and floods on the east coast, Barr said she wanted to avoid any of the news “sugar coating”.
“Things are not always bright and clear. But we want to share how these events also affect everyday Australians, but also present stories that are meaningful and funny and also heartbreaking,” she said.
Together with the panel of presenters, Barr said that part of the success of Sunrise is the fact that they are so strongly connected to those who watch at home.
“Our show is built on honest people who cover the news in the professional way we can, but also bring a part of ourselves into the show,” she said.
“We are encouraged to be ourselves and to bring out our personalities and opinions.
“Years ago, when I was studying, your opinions did not matter. But on a show like ours, we were encouraged to share them and talk about both sides of arguments.
After studying at the university for a year, Barr said she could not imagine where she would end up.
“I hate university and my parents said I could leave if I got a job and I sent letters to so many places. And I was so excited when the Wanneroo Times responded because they were the only ones who responded have, or we have not been told, to leave, ”she laughed.
“I just wanted to do it on TV one day. I never dreamed I would end up in Sydney, let alone on a show like this. It’s far beyond my wildest dreams to grow up in Bunbury.
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