Sunrise: David Koch reveals Natalie Barr has tested positive for Covid

Sunrise host David Koch has addressed the elephant in the room after his co-anchor Natalie Barr failed to show up for work on Monday.

Barr, 54, had been scheduled to return to the news desk that morning after taking a week off to visit family in Perth.

Koch explained at about 8:40am that his colleague wasn’t in the studio because she had tested positive for Covid-19.

Sunrise host David Koch (right, with Monique Wright) has addressed the elephant in the room after his co-anchor Natalie Barr failed to show up for work

‘Well, everyone’s been asking, “Where’s Nat?” Well, you may have noticed she’s been missing over the past week or so,’ Koch began.

‘She’s at home in isolation after testing positive for Covid.’

Monique Wright, who was filling in for Barr on Monday, added: ‘During her time off, Nat’s been very busy: she’s been trying new recipes, she has also been working her way through her new wardrobe, doing some early spring cleaning and organising, due to being stuck in her bedroom.’

Koch joked that Barr was so bored in isolation she even ‘cleaned out the bathroom cabinets’ and was considering reorganising her sock drawer.

Barr (pictured) had been scheduled to return on Monday after taking a week off to visit family in Perth. Koch explained she wasn’t in the studio because she had tested positive for Covid-19

Barr, who is fully vaccinated, has almost no symptoms except for a cough, which is almost gone, and is feeling ‘pretty good’ overall.

She is expected to return to Brekky Central on Wednesday, reports 7News.

Barr spent last week on holiday in Perth and caught Covid upon her return to Sydney.

The Morning Show host Kylie Gillies filled in during her absence.

Barr, who is fully vaccinated, has almost no symptoms except for a cough, which is almost gone, and is feeling ‘pretty good’ overall. (Pictured on Sunrise earlier this month)

Gillies suffered an embarrassing on-air gaffe on Wednesday when her usual 5:40am alarm went off during reporter Sally Bowrey’s news bulletin.

Although she put her phone on silent for the broadcast, she did not switch off her morning alarm, which led to confusion on the desk.

The Sunrise team later ribbed her over the blunder, which was the result of Gillies – who usually works a later shift – forgetting to change her phone’s clock settings.

‘The phone was turned to silent! Who knew your alarm could still go off?’ she said, to which Bowrey replied: ‘Everyone knows that, Kylie.’

Barr spent last week on holiday in Perth and caught Covid upon her return to Sydney. The Morning Show host Kylie Gillies (left) filled in during her absence