It was no surprise when Channel 7 announced Natalie Barr would take up the co-hosting role with David Koch on Sunrise.
Barr has been with the program as newsreader and sometime host for 18 years.
She says her first born was 18 months old when she joined the team.
"I'm feeling really old this week with everyone saying that," the soon to be 53-year-old (her birthday is on March 19), says.
"I now have two teenagers - one turning 20 this year and now at university in Melbourne and the other is 18."
Barr is used to the early mornings, usually rising at 3am.
"I've gone to bed before my kids, which was so much harder when they were little.
"But I don't feel like I have missed a lot. Basically I am doing shift work, and I only had to use child care a few hours a day.
Her husband Andrew got the kids' breakfast and took them to school and she would do school pick-up.
"I have asked my kids [if they felt I missed anything major in their lives].
"I have missed 20 years of popular culture, because I don't watch night time television.
"After the show we have a meeting, then I am home by mid-morning, and in between getting groceries, putting washing on and normal household things, I read 10 newspapers and keep up with Twitter."
Barr has co-hosted Sunrise a lot over the last couple of years, particularly last year during the bulk of the Covid disaster.
"Kochie and I have known each other for a long time, and we really respect one another. It's a good relationship."
Her co-host has called her sense of humour wicked.
"I think it's normal, they think it's harsh. I think it's a Western Australian thing being blunt. We call it how it is, there is no sugar coating. They know where they stand with me.
"We are a news program. The amount of big news stories that we have broken is incredible. I am that they have sent me to them. i love going to those stories - that's what i live for, that's why i love doing this job.
"We want people to wake up and turn the TV on and see what's the latest news, gossip, sport, weather, and entertainment,"
Barr admits the show moves at a frantic pace.
"Yes it is a bit fast. It's nearly four hours, and you have to keep your wits about you. One minute I'm talking to an epidemiologist and the next minute Sam Mac is chatting with a guy who is shoving a fish in his face.
"It's every aspect of life, sometimes serious,sometimes emotional, and sometimes funny. And meanwhile in the ad breaks we are recording promos for every state and trying to shove down some egg and avo on toast."
She says being in Washington for Trump's election win was one of the most incredible stories she has ever covered.
"So many people thought Hilary [Clinton] would win, but the atmosphere was amazing.
"This time the whole city was bordered up, even our hotel, and so many restaurants and cafes were closed. No one knew what was going to happen. It was a tense 10 days."
"In contrast I was also in Washington DC when Barrack Obama was elected. People were running into the streets banging pots and pans and crying. It was one of the most emotional stories, it was a moment in history.
"I hope I can continue to be there for those kind of moments in this role - I love news, that's what I live for," she affirmed.
Barr says there is a team of producers who work through the night as it is a 24-hour newsroom.
"When I come in at 3.30am the sheel of the show will be there, but sometimes it will change. There are lots of days when three or four things will happen and we have to make sure we get it right.
"While I am in hair and make-up I read the newspapers and catch up on Twitter."
There are also some days when not a lot is happening in the world, but that's not too often these days.
"Sometimes in the hour I've been getting ready, the whole show plan can change."
