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Having spent more than two decades working on Channel Seven’s Sunrise before quitting in late 2025, Mark Beretta knows a thing or two about brekky show rivalry.
So when the star put two fierce competitors together in the same room for a chat, he candidly admits he was prepared for some “awkwardness”.
Mark – who on Monday launched his own podcast Beretts’ Best – invited former Sunrise co-host David “Kochie” Koch and ex-Today Show star Karl Stefanovic to be his first show guests, and now he’s spilling secrets on what went on behind the scenes.
“I wasn’t sure if there might be an awkwardness given we were in a battle for ratings with Karl for so many years, but it was incredible!” Mark tells Woman’s Day of the stars’ unlikely reunion.
“As soon as Karl walked in it was big hugs all round and it felt like we all shared a strong bond from those two decades of jostling in the brekky spot.
“There were a lot of big tummy laughs as we recounted different sides of the same story,” the star recounted, while joking that Kochie is “still sensitive” about the “huge” pack packet Karl received to host Today at the time.
“Overall it was a sense of camaraderie – like we’d all shared a big campaign together and it was time to let off some steam and share a laugh,” Mark continued of the star’s bond. “It was almost therapeutic, like getting a lot off your chest and we could have talked for many more hours.. and maybe we will.
“Kochie and Karl have huge respect for each other and that shone through. If anything, the old rivalry made the chat better, because they could finally be honest about it,” he adds.
Karl famously left Today earlier this year after a controversial interview with far-right figure Tommy Robinson on his own podcast The Karl Stefanovic Show, but Mark credits both he and Kochie for being “super smart operators” who have been able to “stay ahead of the game”.
“I like Karl. He is smart and brave enough to say what he thinks,” Mark says candidly of his former TV rival.
“He backs himself, and that is exactly why people watch him. He’s inquisitive and not afraid to ask tough questions.
“The bloke I know and the bloke you hear on the podcast is thoughtful and generous. That’s where he and Kochie are similar. Neither is afraid to step up and say what they think.”
Mark sees podcasting as “exciting” and a “brave new world”, which is why he’s made the move to tap into its “mind boggling” potential himself.
“For more than 20 years I’ve done great 40-minute chats with some of the biggest sport stars and only a few minutes ever got to air,” Mark tells Woman’s Day, explaining that he was the first person to do a TV interview with Oscar Piastri before he became a huge Formula One star – and it was a chat he had to “fight with producers to get it to air”.
“That’s what I’m loving now is the freedom and ability to have great longer, deeper chats and to talk to not just the people who’ve made it but also the up and comers, and the people who spark my interest,” he explains.
“For me it’s simple. After 22 years of asking questions, I wanted the time to do the conversations properly.
“I am not trying to out-shout anyone. Kyle {Sandilands] does what Kyle does brilliantly, Karl does his thing, and mine is a different lane, longer, warmer, more about the person than the headline.
“You cut through by being real and treating the guest and the audience with respect. Do that and the right people find you.”
Of course, in recent months Mark has very much had the support of the right people – and that includes his cherished girlfriend Renata.
“Renata is wonderful and has been a great support over a few tricky years now,” Mark tells Woman’s Day.
“With things settling down, we are just very much enjoying our time together and all that is coming up in the rest of this year.”
It’s a year that looks set to be an exciting one for Mark – as he eyes up interviews with a host of intriguing guests.
“Michael Klim is a hugely emotional chat. We’ve known each other for decades and so he felt he could really open up, and he does drop a bombshell about his career,” Mark teases.
“I also have a massive wish-list, and I’m chasing some very special guests! Roger Federer, Lewis Hamilton, Ash Barty, and Oscar Piastri are all high up on a long list that I’m working on.
“Honestly the ones I most want are the people who rarely open up, the ones who guard themselves. That’s where the magic is.”
And Mark isn’t shy about potentially letting more brekky TV secrets out of the bag in due course.
“We are working on getting the ladies of brekky TV together to talk about rivalries and all the good and bad moments,” the star explains.
“I’ve shared the studio with most of them over the years and they have all got great stories. I’m chasing great yarns and good people, wherever they come from.”
Beretts’ Best launched Monday September 14, with new episodes dropping every Monday.
