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EXCLUSIVE: Why Sunriseā€™s Mark Beretta is a family man more than anything

Plus, he dishes on whether or not he will change careers.
Sunrise hosts busted on their phones during live broadcast
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When Mark Beretta isnā€™t presenting sports on Sevenā€™s Sunrise, heā€™s busy being a devoted family man.

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And although in the past heā€™s expressed his regrets about missing out on early mornings with his two kids, Ava and Daniel, the journalist assures Now To Love he wouldnā€™t trade his gig for anything in the world.

ā€œI love my job so much and I love being with the team,ā€ he tells us.

ā€œItā€™s just never on my radar to change careers or to not be part of Sunrise. Itā€™s such a magical work opportunity. I mean, we do over four hours of live TV every day, you know, a lot of people on TV donā€™t do that a week or a month.

He goes on to call his job a ā€œrare giftā€ for someone who loves TV.

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Mark with his wife, Rachel, and kids, Ava and Daniel.

(Image: Supplied)

ā€œAnd obviously weā€™ve had some great success with, 19 years of the number one breakfast show in the country. I could never ever imagine giving that up. I love it. I love working in sport. I love the guys I get to work with. I honestly pinch myself and I just have never ever considered leaving that.

ā€œI will be there until they drag me out.ā€

Considering his mornings are spent working, Mark has cherished the afternoons and evenings he gets to spend with his family.

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ā€œI always got to pick the kids up from school and do things in the afternoon. A lot of my mates didnā€™t get to do that,ā€ he explains.

When fellow Sunrise employee weatherman Sam Mac was preparing to be a father, rather than dish out fatherly advice Mark believes every dad should navigate parenthood in a way that works for them.

WATCH: Sam Mac makes his baby daughter laugh. Article continues after the video.

Sam Mac makes his baby daughter laugh
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ā€œI think what you find is that youā€™ve sort of got to do it for yourself a little bit and you can get all the advice in the world, but you go your own way and you make your own decisions,ā€ he says.

ā€œEverybody gets there in the end. And no matter who you are, or what you do, or how you plan, or the advice youā€™ve had, youā€™ll have ups and downs. Those medical emergencies and dramas and rushes to the emergency ward and all those things that happen in life, theyā€™re sort of unavoidable.

ā€œYou do your best and you try to guide your kids with your values and just hope they come out happy and good community people who have a good sense of what they can do to help other people and an awareness of others.

ā€œThatā€™s sort of all you can hope for,ā€ he continues, adding that he hopes his children ā€œfeel empowered and inspired to follow their dreamsā€.

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ā€œAnd have a crack at whatever they wanna do,ā€ the journalist finishes.

Mark does, however, remember a piece of advice his own father gave him, which he tries to pass on to his kids.

ā€œYou might not be the most talented person in the room, but you can always be the hardest worker and thatā€™ll get you there,ā€ he recalls.

ā€œJust having a bit of discipline in what you do. And when youā€™re dealing with other people, you respect them and you do what you can to help others.ā€

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For a previous Fatherā€™s Day, Mark was pleasantly surprised with a RedBalloon helicopter ride around Sydney Harbour with his family.

ā€œWhatever happens on Sunday will be an extra surprise because today was pretty special to do it with them,ā€ the presenter tells us.

ā€œGenerally Fatherā€™s Day has been a Darrel Lea Rocky Road, which I love. And maybe some barbecue tongs or a barbecue apron or something like that. But they stepped it up and went into overdrive this year, which was fantastic.ā€

His kidsā€™ gift giving skills have clearly been inherited by their mum, and Markā€™s wife, Rachel, whom he describes as an ā€œexceptional plannerā€ and ā€œworldā€™s greatest gift giverā€.

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ā€œWhich is a curse and a gift at the same time, because I can never measure up to the same standard.

Mark is a sports journalist.

(Image: Instagram)

ā€œI also have a very thoughtful daughter whoā€™s just like her mom and a son whoā€™s pretty good too. So luckily thatā€™s another thing theyā€™ve taken from their mum, is the skill of gift giving.ā€

Despite loving his Rocky Road, Mark is a keen advocate for gifts that involve experience.

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ā€œI think itā€™s experiences that really bring families together,ā€ he says. ā€œI think theyā€™re a great reward because most dads are big kids and they just wanna go and do stuff. And sometimes we get too busy and caught up in what weā€™re doing, whether itā€™s work or family life, and you donā€™t take the time to do stuff.

ā€œBut I think when someone hands you an experience and says, ā€˜listen, dad, you know, youā€™re going quad riding in the sand dunes, or youā€™re going for a helicopter flight over Sydney, or youā€™re going to jump out of a plane, or youā€™re going scuba diving or snorkelling, or youā€™re having a surfing lesson, when someone hands it to you like that, and itā€™s a gift, you up and do it.

ā€œIā€™ve always been a big RedBalloon fan and, and you go through the catalogue of things they offer and I wanna do it all.ā€

Find dad the perfect Fatherā€™s Day gift now with RedBallon.

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