Matt Doran has ended his five years at Weekend Sunrise.
The breakfast show host, 41, made the emotional announcement live at the end of today’s show on Sunday.
The Seven star, who recently opened up about his struggle with depression on The Morning Show, said he will take the time to focus on family and pursue other opportunities.
‘Before we leave today, some breaking news from the Doran household. “I want to share with you a decision I made, with my beautiful wife Kendall, and of course, in sincere consultation with our beloved Italian greyhound Murphy, and that is that, after years at Weekend Sunrise, I will end at the end of the year,” he said.
“This is something I’ve agonized over because it’s honest to say it’s one of the best jobs in the world, but we think it’s right and at the right time – for our little family.”
“Although I am sad and am currently trying my best not to look Mon in the eye, where I am now is honestly a place of incredible gratitude for the laughter, the lessons, the tears, the phenomenal sense of life, the perspective, the Carousels of amazing snacks and I guess even tofu.
“I unwaveringly believe that this role – specifically, telling people’s most intimate and personal stories – is one of the most privileged positions on the planet.”
Matt will host his final episode of Weekend Sunrise on Sunday, December 8, alongside his co-host Monique Wright.
The breakfast show host broke down in tears as he spoke about his friendship with his closest colleague.
‘Mon, you’re not just a colleague, you’re my best friend and I’m going to miss you, any chance for a hug?’ said.
‘I’m going to miss you.’
In September, Matt appeared on Morning Sunrise to launch his latest book, Mental State, about Australia’s mental health system; she spoke bravely about her own struggle with depression.
The breakfast show host revealed his problems on Friday when he and co-host Kylie Gillies interviewed psychologist and author Mark Cross.
—Do you think we’re getting better, doctor, by raising our hands like you did and saying, “I have an anxiety problem”? Matt asked Dr. Cross.
“I’ve also had huge problems with depression in recent years, but I think people are still afraid to come forward and say that.”
“It’s amazing that you say that… the more we talk about it, the better it is,” Dr. Cross said, praising Matt for speaking so openly about his depression on TV.
Matt has raised concerns in recent years after he mysteriously disappeared from work on two separate occasions.
In June, he was unable to make it to the Seven studios to work on Weekend Sunrise, leaving producers scrambling to find a replacement presenter, The Daily Telegraph reported.
He was replaced by reporter Chris Reason, who returned to present the breakfast show alongside Monique Wright on Saturday 8 June.
A Channel Seven spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia at the time that Matt was “on leave”.
It comes after Matt sparked a frantic police search last year when he disappeared during a work assignment in the Hunter Valley. The star reporter had been sent to cover a wedding bus accident that claimed the lives of 10 people, but failed to show up for his 5:30 a.m. shift on June 13, 2023.
Matt’s disappearance came a year after he sparked a frantic police search when he disappeared during a work assignment in the Hunter Valley in June last year.
The star reporter had been sent to cover a wedding bus accident that claimed the lives of 10 people, but failed to show up for his 5:30 a.m. shift on June 13.
Insiders said that when producers went to pick up Matt at his Singleton hotel, knocks on his door went unanswered.
The prominent crime reporter had last been seen speaking to members of the Singleton community at a local football field.
Earlier, locals had seen Matt leaving the home of newlywed couple Mitchell Gaffney and Maddy Edsell, whose wedding was at the center of the tragedy.
When the reporter didn’t return calls, texts and emails before his scheduled appearance on Sunrise, a producer went to check his hotel room.
Concerned colleagues contacted police, who issued a missing person alert.
Matt was eventually found in a nearby cafe and quickly replaced by his on-air colleague Liam Tapper.
Insiders say several factors could have contributed to his troubling behavior, with one suggesting Matt may have struggled with the confrontational nature of the wedding bus accident tragedy.
Matt took several weeks of personal leave after going missing in the Hunter Valley and was reportedly spending time at home “prioritizing his health.”
He was replaced by his colleague Michael Usher at Weekend Sunrise.
Matt, who began his career as a crime reporter at the Herald Sun, joined Seven in 2017 after spending almost eight years in the Network Ten newsroom.
Two years later, he was promoted to his current position as co-host of Weekend Sunrise, alongside Monique Wright, after intermittently replacing weekday host David Koch.