Furious Sunrise viewers demand the Cash Cow return after she mysteriously vanished from the breakfast show – as staff are being replaced by robots

Sunrise’s iconic mascot, the Cash Cow, made a surprising cameo on Tuesday on the hit breakfast show, one year after mysteriously being retired from the program.

The adorable bovine made the one-off appearance alongside reporter Katie Brown to promote Sunrise’s new competition, where viewers can win a $60,000 car.

Brown was showcasing the car to viewers and was left stunned after she opened the boot and the Cash Cow jumped out of it and waved to the audience. 

However, viewers were left heartbroken after 7News reported the mascot’s return was just a one-off appearance and they would not be back at the new Sunrise studio in Redfern.

Sunrise posted footage to TikTok of the Cash Cow visiting their new Sydney studio and furious followers demanded the show bring her back for good.

‘I’d like to sign a petition to bring back Cash Cow,’ one fan wrote, while another added: ‘I love the Cash Cow. She brings joy to hundreds’.

‘We need the Cash Cow back,’ a third person chipped in while another fan wrote: ‘Cash Cow is my spirit animal’. 

There has also been some backlash online about the apparent lack of camera operators visible in the studio, amid reports Seven is phasing in robotic cameras. 

The adorable bovine made the one-off appearance alongside reporter Katie Brown (left) to promote Sunrise’s new competition, where viewers can win a $60,000 car

Back in April 2022, the lovable mascot was retired from the show for a surprising reason.

There was no editorial decision made to drop the Cash Cow, but instead she was forced off the air due to recent changes in SMS premium services.

Telstra announced it will no longer allow SMS messages to be sent to premium numbers like those used by television competitions, reports TV Blackbox. 

Brown was showcasing the car to viewers and was left stunned after she opened the boot and the Cash Cow jumped out of it and waved to the audience

‘From 15 December 2021, Telstra will no longer allow SMS to premium numbers (e.g. 19xx numbers). This is also known as Premium SMS,’ reads an the announcement on the Telstra website.

The telecommunication company cites the Sunrise Cash Cow giveaway as an example of one premium number that will no longer be accessible.

The Cash Cow competition was a popular contest held on Sunrise in which viewers try to find a codeword and enter for a chance to win at least $10,000. 

However, viewers were left heartbroken after 7News reported the mascot’s return was just a one-off appearance and they would not be back at the new Sunrise studio in Redfern

The Cash Cow mascot promoted Sunrise competitions to viewers for years, but was unfortunately retired in 2022. Pictured (left to right): the Cash Cow, Edwina Bartholomew, Natalie Barr, David Koch and Mark Beretta