David ‘Kochie’ Koch Quits Sunrise After Over 20 Years: Here’s Why!

David "Kochie" Koch has quitted from Sunrise, the popular morning show he graced for more than two days.

As Kochie's fans were left wondering what led to this unexpected decision, the morning show host sheds light on the reason behind his dramatic shift in career.

David 'Kochie' Koch Quits Sunrise

According to ABC Australia, Kochie broke the news on the popular morning show, announcing that he is leaving Sunrise. He confirmed that he will continue hosting the program in the next two weeks.

Koch, widely known by his fans as "Kochie," is Australia's longest-serving morning show host.

As per The Guardian, the 67-year-old long-time host was emotional when he told the viewers of Sunrise about his decision to step down as a mainstay of the morning show. He declares, "I have decided to hang up the boots as co-host of Sunrise."

Upon announcing his departure, he took the opportunity to pay tribute to his co-host Natalie Barr. He also extended gratitude to his other colleagues in the program, such as the show's producer David Walters, sports reporter Mark Beretta, and the Seven West Media Kerry Stokes, who has been his boss through the years.

Meanwhile, the Seven West Media Chief Executive Officer (CEO), James Warburton, says Koch's long stint in the network's morning program is in itself "an extraordinary achievement." But despite that, he notes that "all good things come to an end." He emphasized that he respects and admires the career shift of Kochie.

As of writing, Channel Seven has yet to disclose the person who will fill in the void that Koch's departure will be creating.

Real Reason For Kochie's Sunrise Departure

The Daily Mail UK reports that Kochie disclosed his plans to retire back when he signed his extension deal with the Seven Network boss, Warburton, in October 2022. However, the channel's big boss successfully persuaded the long-time host to put off his retirement plans. To do so, his contract with the network enables him "to take more breaks from the show according to his requirements."

Kochie announced that he is stepping down as the morning show's host to put his mind and attention to his businesses. And besides his ventures, he looks forward to enjoying more time with his family.

He served as the Seven Network breakfast program host for the past 21 years. He joined the show way back in 2002. And in the past two decades, the Sunrise host showed up in over 5,300 episodes.

He emphasizes that he has been with the program even before Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and iPhones were a thing. "That's how old I am," he quipped.