Sunrise host Natalie Barr has set the record straight on her rivalry with Today’s Karl Stefanovic amid Australia’s breakfast TV ratings war.
Speaking to TV Tonight, the presenter, 55, confirmed that while she feels genuinely competitive against the Today team, she prefers to focus on the performance of her own program.
‘I think as far as our competitors (go) yes, we want to win. It’s a commercial television station,’ Barr told the publication on Wednesday.
‘But we’re not sitting there every day thinking ‘What are they doing?’ We’re sitting there everyday thinking ‘How can we put the best show to air?”
Barr continued: ‘And we’re sitting there every day, researching, keeping up with the news all day, making sure we’re across everything and doing the best job we can.’
Sunrise host Natalie Barr, 55, (left) has set the record straight on her rivalry with Today’s Karl Stefanovic, 49, (right) amid Australia’s breakfast TV ratings war.
Her co-host Matt Shirvington meanwhile took a dig at Today by claiming that Sunrise has ‘the best team’ when it comes to reporting on the evolving news cycle.
It comes months after Barr and Stefanovic came face-to-face in an awkward radio segment in May.
Nova FM’s Ricki-Lee, Tim and Joel drive show hosted the warring presenters for a friendly word game and tensions reached an all time high.
Speaking to TV Tonight , the presenter confirmed that while she feels genuinely competitive against the Today team, she prefers to focus on the performance of her own program
Her co-host Matt Shirvington (right) meanwhile took a dig at Today by claiming that Sunrise has ‘the best team’ when it comes to reporting on the evolving news cycle
Despite admitting the pair get along well outside of work, Barr traded several barbs with her ‘opposition’ including pretending to forget Stefanovic’s name.
‘It’s not easy looking at each other and being such fierce competitors,’ the Today host remarked. ‘Look at the daggers.’
Tensions aside, the Channel Seven star confessed: ‘We actually don’t mind each other.’
‘I think as far as our competitors (go) yes, we want to win. It’s a commercial television station. But we’re not sitting there every day thinking ‘What are they doing?’ We’re sitting there everyday thinking ‘How can we put the best show to air?’,’ Barr said. (L-R: Karl Stefanovic and co-host Sarah Abo)
To which Stefanovic joked: ‘That’s not true.’
‘You hate me? Okay, I hate you more,’ Barr replied.
It all ended well however, when Karl ended the playful argument by saying: ‘Well, you’re successful, and I’m not. So there.’
Back in May, Nova FM’s Ricki-Lee, Tim and Joel drive show hosted the warring presenters for a friendly word game – and tensions reached an all time high
Speaking to Woman’s Day magazine in July, Barr confirmed there was genuine rivalry between herself and Stefanovic, telling the publication: ‘We look at the ratings every day and yeah, we want to win.’
‘I was on radio with Karl a few weeks ago,’ she continued.
‘I’ve known him for a long time and we like each other, but it doesn’t mean we don’t want to beat each other! We don’t want them to win.’
Despite admitting the pair get along well outside of work, Barr traded several barbs with her ‘opposition’ Stefanovic including pretending to forget his name
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