Matt ‘Shirvo’ Shirvington has raced his way into Aussies hearts after he was announced as the replacement for long-serving Sunrise anchor David ‘Kochie’ Koch in 2023.
A year later, the former Olympic athlete, 45, who once made his living as a professional sprinter, has become one of the nation’s most beloved TV hosts.
This week the breakfast show presenter revealed the gruelling schedule which helped him shoot to the top of Network Seven in just a year.
He said he has taken tips from co-host Natalie Barr to implement a very strict morning routine.
‘I’m trying to do a crash course sitting next to Nat because the lessons that she’s learnt along the way, I can learn from a lot,’ he told 7News.com.au.
Matt ‘Shirvo’ Shirvington, 45, (left) sprinted his way into Aussie hearts in 2023 when he was announced as the replacement for long-serving Sunrise anchor David ‘Kochie’ Koch, 68, (right)
Shirvo begins his day at 2:20am to workout on his exercise bike at home for 30 minutes while the rest of the country is still asleep.
He then makes sure he’s getting in all his vital nutrients, vitamins and minerals by packing them into a delicious fruit smoothie.
The refreshment contains spinach, Greek yoghurt, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and beetroot with a dash of cinnamon and coconut water.
Shirvo said it’s the only way he can keep up with the aspects of his job which are, to his surprise, very physically demanding.
‘I think I’m a fairly strong and fit person, but even sitting there in that position and understanding that you’ve got to move and react in a certain way, it’s quite draining physically and even mentally, so I think that was a big shock,’ he said.
A year later, the former Olympic athlete who once made his living as a professional sprinter has become one of the nation’s most beloved TV hosts. Pictured at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
The presenter went on to say he doesn’t even get a break when the ads flick on for viewers at home because he and Nat, 56, have behind-the-scenes work.
While fans of the show are watching the latest advertisements, Shirvo said he and Nat are busy ‘recording promos, intros and openers, and we’re also talking to the people we’re interviewing’.
By the time he gets back home, Shirvo said he’s so exhausted he has to ‘have a nap’ for half an hour after a big lunch just to ‘get him through the rest of the day’.
Shirvo then knocks out for the night when he goes to bed early at 7:30pm.
Despite not coming from a journalistic background, Shirvo was thrown into the deep end as he has spent the last year ‘jamming in a lot’ of news.
Now the breakfast show presenter has revealed the gruelling schedule which helped him shoot to the top of Network Seven in only a year, reported 7News.com.au
His first day on the job he had to cover the devastating Hunter Valley bus crash which killed 10 people, a day which Shirvo says was ‘tough’ for the whole crew.
The year that followed saw the former athlete cover the Logies and the AFL Grand Final, as well as interview some big names such as Tom Cruise.
And after each segment he performs, Shirvo revealed he relives it all again when he watches them back a second time to analyse what he can do better.
He said it was a technique he used in his sporting years to become the third-fastest Australian sprinter of all time and compete in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
‘I think for someone who hasn’t come specifically from a journalistic background, I’m proud of the way that I’ve been able to fit in with the team,’ he said.
The former Australian 100m national sprint titleholder said he has taken tips from co-host Natalie Barr, 56, (right) to implement a very strict morning routine
Shirvo shares daughters Sienna, 17, Winter, 15, and son Lincoln, six, with high school sweetheart and now wife Jessica Shirvington.
He was announced as the replacement for veteran Sunrise anchor Kochie, 68, in June 2023 after he first signed on to work with Seven in 2020.
Kochie, the longest-serving breakfast TV anchor in Australian history, stunned viewers in May 2023 by announcing he was leaving the program after 21 years.
Despite having no formal training as a journalist at the time, it wasn’t Shirvo’s first time in the reporting seat or on television.
After a few cameos and guest roles on several other shows, Shirvo joined Sky News Australia in 2010 as a sports presenter and hosted Fox Sports NRL in 2013.
Kochie, the longest-serving breakfast TV anchor in Australian history, stunned viewers in May 2023 by announcing he was leaving the program after 21 years
He also joined The Back Page as a co-host, worked as a host for Friday Night Football on Fox League, and in 2014 he co-hosted the ASTRA Awards with Shaynna Blaze.
Seven Network snapped Shirvo up in June 2020 as a weekend sports reporter for Seven News Sydney, replacing Jim Wilson.
During this time, he also acted as a fill-in host and sports presenter on Sunrise, Weekend Sunrise and The Morning Show.
Shirvo’s debut as the permanent Sunrise co-host alongside Nat in June 2023 was a resounding success.
Seven bigwigs at the time said they were ‘relieved’ by the positive reception, as they hinted they weren’t always convinced Shirvo could pull loyal viewership.
Shirvo was announced as the replacement for veteran Sunrise anchor Kochie in June 2023 after he first signed on to work with Seven in 2020
Speaking to industry blog Mediaweek last December, Sarah Stinson, Seven’s director of morning television alluded to the network’s reservations.
‘We’ve been absolutely thrilled – and relieved,’ she said of the show’s continued ratings dominance at the time.
Stinson also revealed the network is delighted ‘Shirvo’ has clicked with co-host Nat.
‘He and Nat have such natural chemistry, and that’s come across on air,’ she said.
