Natalie Barr and the Sunrise family remember Nathan Templeton, a cherished colleague and friend, in an emotional on-air tribute.
The Sunrise team, led by Natalie Barr, Mark Beretta (Shirvo), and Edwina Bartholomew, delivered an emotional tribute this morning to their colleague and treasured member of the Sunrise family, Nathan Templeton, who tragically passed away earlier this week at the age of 44.
Templeton was experiencing a medical issue while walking his dog by the Barwon River on Monday evening, leading to his untimely death.
Opening the tribute, Barr expressed the deep sorrow felt by the Sunrise team, saying,
“It’s been a tough few days for the Sunrise family … with the loss of one of our adored team members, Nathan Templeton, or ‘Tempo’ as he was known to all of us,” as she introduced a compilation of Templeton‘s memorable television moments.
She reminisced about Templeton‘s contribution, noting,
“He bought heart, humour and passion to ever story he covered… and connected with so many viewers along the way. He will be so missed by everyone here at Channel 7 and by all of you, our wonderful Sunrise family, watching at home. This morning, we say thank you Tempo, for brightening our lives. We are so fortunate to have known you and worked alongside you.“
In a heartfelt addition, Barr shared,
“And Nathan, we know you had a lot more stories to tell and we are really sorry that you can’t tell them. Our hearts go out to your entire family, your two little boys and Kate, and everyone who knew you – inside this building and right across the Seven Network, but also so many of you who have written in and said that you felt like you knew him, because of how he conducted himself on air.“
Templeton‘s death was confirmed earlier this week after he was discovered near the Barwon River in Geelong.
Having joined the Seven Network in 2012, Templeton was a cherished figure in both the media and sports communities, known for his reporting from Melbourne for Sunrise and his involvement in significant events like the Tokyo and Rio Olympic Games, the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the Australian Open, and the Australian Swimming Championships. Before his time at Seven, he was a reporter for 10 News First and worked with the Geelong Football Club.
Lewis Martin, Managing Director of Seven Melbourne and Network Head of Sport, reflected on Templeton‘s passing, stating,
“The tragic news of Nathan’s passing has left us all at Seven profoundly saddened. Nathan was a respected journalist whose passion for storytelling was evident in all his years reporting for Sunrise, 7NEWS and multiple Olympic Games. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, especially his two young sons, during this difficult time.“
