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Sunrise star Natalie Barr made a candid admission in a telling interview just weeks before sources revealed a “wake-up call” had led her to impose a “complete switch off” from work.
The beloved TV personality checked into the five-star Chiva Som resort in Thailand during a break from her on-screen duties with Channel Seven, with an insider telling Woman’s Day that the retreat helps “people get their sleep patterns on track”.
“For the average person, Chiva Som is unaffordable, so when Nat was reportedly invited for a week of luxury and a complete switch off, how could she say no!” the source explained.
“Nat has had 3am starts for most of her working life and it’s starting to really wear her down.
“Everyone who comes to Chiva Som is a bit apprehensive at first – Nat included,” the insider added. “They encourage people to lock away their phones and stop and take in everything that’s on offer because it really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Indeed, the star herself gave an insight into the demands of her 20-year career in an interview with 7NEWS.com.au before her trip away.
During the August interview, Nat revealed her day starts at 2.30am – with a shower and coffee that she drinks in the car on her way into Seven’s Eveleigh studios.
“I listen to a political podcast on the way in, so I can get an update on what’s happened the day before,” the star explained. “I’m at my desk at 3.30am.”
In the same chat, Nat made a candid admission about her job.
“The day I stop being excited and/or nervous is the day I should leave,” she told the outlet. “Because I do still get nervous.
“Things go wrong all the time. With nearly four hours on-air, there’s always something that goes wrong, or an interview you walk away from and think ‘I should have done that differently.’
“There’s no way we think we are perfect. But sometimes I think that’s what spurs the nerves, because you want to get it right and do a really good job.”
It’s not the only time she’s spoken out about her commitment to her career.
In a previous interview with The Nightly, Nat revealed how she was very self-analytical – often thinking of questions she felt she should have asked an interviewee during her drive home or in the middle of the night.
“I still have moments where I think, ‘where should I go next’ (in this interview), and that keeps me hungry, that keeps me aware that I need to do the work for this job,” she explained.
“You cannot rock up without the research, any day of the week.”
Certainly, Nat’s commitment to her profession is clear to see every time she appears on screen on Sunrise.
But even the most dedicated of employees need time out occasionally, and our insider revealed what had led Nat to take up an offer to attend the $8000 a week Thai resort – where treatments are “personally customised” – for some R&R.
“There have been whispers for a while that Nat has had a bit of a wake-up call, not so much a midlife crisis but more a desire to really take care of herself and her health,” the source revealed.
“She’s also struggling with empty-nest syndrome since her two boys moved out of the family home. This is her chance to spend some time focusing on herself.
“She’s always been into her fitness and healthy eating,” the insider added.
Certainly it appears that Nat’s trip was a success, with the star taking to Instagram on her return to Australia to share some highlights.
“Five nights at one of the world’s most prestigious wellness retreats, celebrating their 30th birthday,” she wrote.
“Started by a Thai banker who discovered all those years ago there was more to life than work.
“He turned the family beach house at Hua Hin near Bangkok into @chivasomhuahin and set about teaching those fortunate enough to stay about the importance of Mind, Body and Spirit. His family still owns and runs it. And Boonchu Rojanastien’s motto lives on: ‘Above all, enjoy your life’.”
