Mark Beretta has revealed the reasons why he chose to step down from Sunrise, after 22 years on the show.
The sports presenter formally joined the show in 2003, and announced his resignation last month.
“It’s fair to say it was a combination [of Channel 7’s choice and mine],” he told the Daily Telegraph.
“I could see what was coming and I didn’t want to hang around for that.”
He explained that TV has “never been tougher” than it is right now, and after almost three decades with the network, he decided it was time for a break.
“And, to be honest, it’s been a harrowing couple of years,” he said. “There’s been a lot going on away from Sunrise and it’s time for a reset.”
The last six years have been tough for Beretta personally, with his mother’s ovarian cancer diagnosis in 2019, followed by his father’s cancer diagnosis in 2022. The following year, he and his wife of 22 years, Rachel, split. Then earlier this year Beretta’s father passed away.
The presenter took three weeks from his job to spend time with his dad before his passing. When his father died, the presenter revealed the loss made him question whether there was more to life than work.
Beretta recently found out that his mum’s cancer had progressed.
“We don’t have a lot of time left with her and that’s a big part of my thinking at the moment,” he told the News Corp newspaper.
“The job is great, and it’s fun, and I get a lot of satisfaction out of it.
“But, I don’t want to lose this time.”
The Sunrise presenter also mentioned a mystery woman in his life who has been “super kind and super supportive” and was there for him through the loss of his father.
She also helped him make the decision to leave the show, with his final appearance this Friday.
Once he wraps up the show, he intends to spend time with ihs mum, travelling around Australia in a campervan.
Images: Instagram
