"More pressure": Natt Barr reveals how she felt taking over from Sam Armytage
Current Sunrise co-host Natalie Barr has revealed that she would have happily stayed at her job as Sunrise's newsreader had Sam Armytage not left.
The "big boss" called to offer her the co-hosting gig and she felt like she couldn't say no.
"My husband said to me, 'You can't sit there and watch someone else do that job. You'll regret it. Don't do that," she told Now To Love.
"When it was announced Sam was going, she texted and said, 'I really hope they give you this job,'" Barr says. "It was really nice. She's really generous."
Barr is still struggling with the new responsibility.
"Before, it was all care and no responsibility, Barr, 53, tells TV WEEK. "Now, it's all responsibility. It's [the job] mine now and, to be honest, it's taken me quite a few weeks to get used to the fact that I'm it. There's more pressure, more feedback. I thought I was relaxed weeks ago, but now I don't think I was."
Barr has also explained she's ready for the intense public scrutiny on her private life that just comes with the job.
"I think I'm ready for it," she says.
"I think people get sick of people who work in TV complaining about the attention," she says. "I've turned off all these notifications on my Twitter feed.
"I can block people in my DMs [direct messages]. Or I report them, as everyone does that in the modern world. I think you've got to take that attitude."I'm sure people will write stuff I won't like, or that's incorrect. But people have worse lives. When they do [write things], I promise you I won't complain."
"I get hate mail, I get death threats," she says.
"I've worked in newsrooms for over 30 years. I defy you to offend me."