David Koch will name his successor in just hours, after dropping the bombshell he was leaving the Sunrise couch after more than 20 years on air.
The breakfast host announced he was leaving just after 8am last Monday in between segments, prefacing the bombshell with: “Before we move on, just a bit of news from me.”
He told viewers after “nearly 21 years and 5300 shows”, he felt it was time to pass the torch to the next generation.
“I started here before Facebook, before Instagram, before Twitter and iPhones. That’s how old I am,” he said, as his co-host Nat became visibly emotional.
“I have loved every single minute of it and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved here over the last 21 years. 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. It really is the world’s best job.”
Former Olympian Matt Shirvington has been widely touted as the expected new host of the program, having spent two years on the network as Seven’s weekend sports presenter.
He has also regularly filled in as a host on Sunrise.
Another major contender is veterinarian Dr Chris Brown, who recently defected from Network Ten on a rumoured million-dollar deal.
Dr Brown’s role at the network remains a mystery, with no position announced for him ahead of his expected arrival in July.
Kochie, 67, has declined to comment on either man’s chances, revealing only one detail when quizzed on his replacement during an interview with Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa.
“I can guarantee you this, that my replacement will be younger and better looking,” he teased listeners before joking that the two radio hosts would be out of the running.
Koch, 67, will air his last show on Friday, having made his mark as the longest-serving breakfast host in Australian history.
The television star said the move would allow him to focus on his family and business interests – but he didn’t rule out a return to the Sunrise couch.
“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,” he said last week.
Koch and his wife Libby own Pinstripe Media, a marketing company specialising in start-ups, business and finance.
He is also the executive chairman of AusBiz, a streaming channel for markets and business content.
Outside of finance, the father-of-four is also chairman of the Port Adelaide Football Club, and Patron of the Koch Centre For Youth in Macquarie Fields.