MEL & NAT'S SHOCK FALLOUT

Sunrise stalwarts and TV royalty they may be but things between the pair have soured 

One of TV’s most enduring friendships appears to be on the rocks, with sources revealing to Woman’s Day that former Sunrise co-stars Melissa Doyle and Natalie Barr are barely on speaking terms.

We’re told Mel, 53, is “incensed” after entertainment presenter and very close friend Nelson Aspen left Sunrise. Late last year, Nelson, 59, sensationally announced he was stepping away from Sunrise after citing he had “burnt out” and was struggling with the workload.

Now sources say Mel desperately wishes the Sunrise team had done more to convince him not to resign and has made her feelings known to Nat, which has made things awkward between the pair.

FAMOUS BESTIES

When the show launched in its current format in 2002 with David Koch and Melissa Doyle at the helm, it was Nat, 54, who completed the team, joining as newsreader, and the women instantly formed a strong bond.

“Mel and I gossip about kids and home-type issues as soon as we get in the door in the morning,” Natalie told Mother Inc in 2011.

And while Nat struggled to get along with Mel’s successor, Samantha Armytage, she and Mel have always been  rm friends... until now.