The REAL reason David ‘Kochie’ Koch is quitting Sunrise

Sunrise host David Koch shocked viewers after he announced he’s leaving the breakfast show on Monday morning after 21 years.

After making the surprise announcement, the 67-year-old explained he decided to leave the show to focus on his own business and cover financial news.

He also explained he wants to enjoy more flexible work hours to spend time with his growing family.

‘It’s time for me to work business hours and for [wife] Libby and I to have a bit more flexibility to enjoy our burgeoning family, to travel and focus on our family business interests in Pinstripe Media and the Ausbiz business channel,’ he told viewers.

‘As everyone knows, I’m a finance nerd so you’ll still see me pop up every so often on RBA board meeting days or covering other big financial news, but as a guest rather than host.’

Kochie struggled to hold back the tears on Monday as he announced he is leaving the show.

The longest-serving TV host in Australian history made the shock announcement, beside his emotional co-host Natalie Barr. 

‘I have loved every single minute of it and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved here over the last 21 years,’ Kochie told viewers. 

‘I started here before Facebook, before Instagram, before Twitter and iPhones. That’s how old I am. I have loved every single minute of it and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved here over the last 21 years.

David said he made the decision to leave the show to focus on his own business and cover financial news. He also explained he wants to enjoy more flexible work hours to spend time with his growing family

‘I’ve been privileged to experience so many great adventures, to meet so many different people and to meet so many different people and to cover so many moments of history in the making’.

Barr told her co-host: ‘The show would not be what it is today without you. It’s been an amazing ride and we’re going to celebrate that in the next two weeks.’

The host has been a familiar face on Australian television screens since 2002 when he started on the Sunrise desk. 

Kochie said he would miss working with the entire Sunrise team, but gave special shoutouts to co-hosts Natalie Barr and Mark Beretta and producer Dave Walters. 

Back in October, Kochie inked an extension deal at a meeting with Seven Network CEO James Warburton, during which he expressed his interest in retiring.

Warburton was able to convince Koch to put off his retirement plans, but agreed to draw up a contract allowing the long-serving anchor ‘to take more breaks from the show according to his requirements’, reported The Australian.

David has hosted Sunrise with Natalie Barr since 2022 following the departure of his former co-host Samantha Armytage after almost 10 years.

Before that, he shared the desk at ‘Brekky Central’ with Melissa Doyle.

On August 21, it was announced Melissa was parting ways with Channel Seven after 25 years.