Matt Shirvington was left speechless on Wednesday when he saw footage of a crocodile trying to escape from its enclosure.
The 45-year-old Sunrise presenter was stunned as he watched the enormous crocodile climb onto the cage fence and balance in front of shocked onlookers in Roebuck, Western Australia.
“That’s so scary. No,” Shirvo said from the Channel Seven studio.
Meanwhile, his co-presenter Natalie Barr assured him that the crocodile was trying to use the rest of its energy for a ‘big meal’.
“Anyway, as long as it has the energy to get over that thing!” he added.
Fortunately, the crocodile slid back into its enclosure.
Shrivo stormed his way into the hearts of Australians after he was announced as the replacement for long-serving Sunrise presenter David ‘Kochie’ Koch until 2023.
And a year later, the former Olympic athlete has become one of the country’s most beloved TV presenters.
Matt Shirvington was left speechless on Wednesday after watching footage of a crocodile trying to escape from its enclosure. Pictured with co-host Natalie Barr (left)
Last month, the morning show host revealed the gruelling schedule that saw him rise to the top of Network Seven in just a year.
He said he took tips from co-host Natalie Barr to implement a very strict morning routine.
“I try to give a crash course sitting next to Nat because the lessons she has learned along the way are lessons I can learn a lot from,” he said 7News.com.au.
Shirvo starts his day at 2:20 am with a half hour workout on his exercise bike at home, while the rest of the country is still asleep.
He then makes sure he gets all the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals by processing them into a delicious fruit smoothie.
The Sunrise co-host was stunned as he watched the huge crocodile climb the cage fence and balance itself in front of shocked onlookers in Western Australia
The snack consists of spinach, Greek yoghurt, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and beetroot with a pinch of cinnamon and coconut water.
Shirvo said this is the only way he can continue to perform the aspects of his job that, to his surprise, are very physically demanding.
“I think I’m a pretty strong and fit person, but even being in that position and realizing that I have to move and react in a certain way, it’s quite physically and mentally exhausting. So I think it was a big shock,” he said.
The presenter went on to say that he doesn’t even get a break when the adverts are aired for viewers at home, as he and Nat, 56, are working behind the scenes.
While fans of the show watch the latest commercials, Shirvo says he and Nat are busy “recording promos, intros, pre-shows, and also talking to the people we interview.”
The breakfast show host recently revealed the gruelling schedule that helped him reach the top of Network Seven in just a year
By the time he gets home, he is so exhausted that he has to take a half-hour ‘nap’ after a big lunch, ‘to get through the rest of the day’.
Shirvo then goes to bed early, at 7:30 pm.
Although Shirvo has no background in journalism, he was thrown in at the deep end after he put ‘a lot of news’ into his program over the past year.
On his first day on the job, he had to cover the devastating bus crash in the Hunter Valley, which killed ten people. According to Shirvo, it was a ‘tough’ day for the whole crew.
The following year, the former athlete covered the Logies and the AFL Grand Final, and also interviewed some big names, including Tom Cruise.
And after every segment he performs, Shirvo relives it all as he watches the pieces a second time, analyzing 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 at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
“I think despite my background as a journalist, I’m proud of the way I’ve been able to fit into the team,” he said.
Shirvo has daughters Sienna, 17, Winter, 15, and son Lincoln, six, with her high school sweetheart and current wife Jessica Shirvington.
The former Australian national 100m sprint champion said he has taken tips from co-presenter Natalie Barr, 56, (right) to implement a very strict morning routine
In June 2023, he was announced as the replacement for 68-year-old Sunrise presenter Kochie, after first signing with Seven in 2020.
Kochie, the longest-serving breakfast show host in Australian history, surprised viewers in May 2023 by announcing he would be leaving the show after 21 years.
Although Shirvo had no formal training as a journalist at the time, it was not the first time she had appeared as a journalist or on television.
After a number of cameos and guest roles on various other programs, Shirvo joined Sky News Australia as a sports presenter in 2010 and presented Fox Sports NRL in 2013.
He also joined The Back Page as a co-host, worked as an anchor for Friday Night Football on Fox League, and co-hosted the ASTRA Awards with Shaynna Blaze in 2014.
Seven Network hired Shirvo as a weekend sports reporter for Seven News Sydney in June 2020, replacing Jim Wilson.
Shirvo was announced in June 2023 as the replacement for veteran Sunrise anchor Kochie, after first signing to work with Seven in 2020
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 permanent co-host of Sunrise alongside Nat in June 2023 was a resounding success.
Seven top figures said at the time that they were “relieved” by the positive reception, but hinted that they were not always convinced that Shirvo would be able to attract a loyal audience.
Talking to an Industry Blog Media week Last December, Sarah Stinson, Seven’s director of morning television, referred to the network’s concerns.
“We were so happy – and relieved,” she said of the show’s continued ratings success at the time.
Stinson also said the network is happy that ‘Shirvo’ and co-host Nat have such a good connection.
“He and Nat have a natural chemistry and it shows on the radio,” she said.