Mark Beretta has opened up on what his life has been like since he stepped down from Sunrise.
In an interview with Woman’s Day, the veteran presenter revealed that despite leaving his morning TV role he still wakes up at the crack of dawn.
“It’s been really interesting. I still wake up at silly, silly hours in the morning,” he said.
“But instead of going to work I jump on the bike and go for a ride.”
Beretta left Channel Seven three months ago, after more than two decades working for the network. He admitted that while he had mixed feelings, the heartache of losing his father to cancer in 2025 had made him “see the world a little differently”.
Since leaving the network, the 59-year-old has been training for this year’s Tour De Cure Signature Tour, a 1,400km bike ride from Canberra to Hobart that raises funds for cancer research, prevention programs and support projects.
While he admitted he misses the camaraderie of morning TV, he said it was the the “right time” for him to leave.
“I just needed a change and life moves quickly. It’s short, and there’s some other things I’d like to do as well.
“So, to have that time, it’s really good, and to be able to really have some proper time – which I’ve never had before – really to prepare for this Tour De Cure ride – and it’s a big tough one – that’s been a real bonus,” he said.
He has shared his passion for cycling with girlfriend Renata Hickson, who will be joining him for the tour.
“It’s pretty big. It’s been great to have her there and have her alongside training and doing the actual ride as well,” he said.
“She’s turned into a great cyclist, so I’m just trying to keep up.”
The cause means a lot to the veteran presenter, as his mother is battling the disease too.
“She’s got Stage 4 ovarian cancer and she’s been a bit of a miracle,” he said.
“I always say now we’ve really got skin in the game with the whole curing cancer and finding better treatments.
“When I started 17 years ago we had no history of cancer in the family, and now we’ve lost Dad and Mum did her own fight, so it really, really changes your focus.”
Beretta and his partner have already raised more than $88,879 of their $88,000 team goal, and hope to reach $100,000 in donations.
“You know, if I can help this team raise $100,000 for cancer research, I just can’t do that for anything else. If that means jumping on the bike and nine days of sore backside and tired legs and fatigue and emotional stress, it’s a small price to pay.
“It’s worth it, absolutely,” he said.
Beretta admitted that since leaving Sunrise he has taken up “a lot of opportunities” in his personal life, but spending more time with his mum in Melbourne has been the experience he’s treasured the most.
“All these things [historically] I’ve generally had a game face on or been working at,” he said.
“It’s been really good to just knock over things I’ve wanted to do for a long time.”
Images: Instagram
