David “Kochie” Koch recently celebrated 18 years as host of Australia’s number one breakfast show, Sunrise.
And the star of Seven Network looked back on his almost two decades at the top in an interview with week’s New Idea magazine.
The 64-year-old spoke about a number of topics such as his 41-year marriage to wife Libby and his friendship – of lack thereof – with Karl Stefanovic, who hosts rival breakfast program Today on Channel Nine.
When asked if the two were friends, Kochie didn’t miss a beat.
“No, not at all.” He said. “I’ve met Karl a number of times at industry functions, but I don’t need new friends.”
As the conversation steered towards the rating wars between the two shows, Kochie downplayed Nine’s recent victory.
“We have not lost a day all year,” he said. “You can win in Dubbo one week, or Wagga Wagga or Melbourne, and can cherry pick regions. We look at the [national] total.”
Kochie was referring to the fact that the Today show has been Australia’s most-watched breakfast show on the east-coast on several occasions this year.
But despite Today’s success in the eastern states, Sunrise has dominated nationally for years, which Kochie was quick to point out.
“At the end of the day, it’s about who wins the game. Every day, we’ve won the game,” he said.
In terms of his personal life, Kochie insisted that he and Libby “are like any normal couple” that goes through ups and downs, and that working through the “tough times” together has made them stronger.
Kochie co-hosts Sunrise with Sam Armytage, and the pair have delivered consistently good ratings under Michael Pell, the executive producer.
