Charlotte Foster
TV

Why Nat Barr suddenly fled the Sunrise desk

Sunrise viewers were left shocked and confused on Tuesday morning when co-host Natalie Barr suddenly disappeared in the middle of the episode. 

While Kochie read the news headlines, Nat disappeared from the set and was suddenly replaced by presenter Monique Wright.

As the show returned from a commercial break, Monique said, “Good morning! Back now for our 8am hour on Sunrise. Thanks so much for joining us.”

“What the hell are you doing here?” Kochie teased beside her.

Responding to his confusion, Monique jokingly said that “Nat just scurried out and I happened to have been under the couch.”

As the hosts laughed along with presenters Mark Beretta and Edwina Bartholomew, Kochie explained the sudden change in hosts. 

“She’s dashing to the airport as we speak. We’ll bring that to you tomorrow,” he said.

Later on Tuesday, Natalie revealed on her Instagram account that the reason she suddenly fled the Sunrise set was to fly to Melbourne for an exclusive interview with Olivia Newton-John’s family, daughter Chloe Lattanzi and husband John Easterling.

Sunrise has secured the Australian breakfast TV exclusive with the family of the late Dame Olivia Newton-John just days after her state memorial service in Melbourne. 

Speaking from Melbourne’s Como Hotel, where the interview was filmed today, Nat says, “the world knew her as the beautiful singer with the angelic voice, but now Chloe Lattanzi and John Easterling have sat down with me to share the part of Olivia Newton-John only they saw."

“It was an emotional interview but a really funny one too, with two people who dearly loved Australia’s sweetheart.”

Image credits: Sunrise

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TV, Natalie Barr, Sunrise, absence