“You’re a diamond. We’ll see you on the dance floor,” members of electronic band Peking Duk said, followed by Delta Goodrem sending Koch many kisses and Amy Shark saying she isn’t sure whether “Australian TV will ever be the same again”.

Even the nation’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, showed his appreciation.

“Congratulations on your amazing career on this show. You can see outside here that there are a lot of people that want to wish you well, and I certainly personally wish you well.”

Sunrise favourites, such as the team’s unofficial “Cash Cow” mascot made an appearance, telling Koch to “moooooove over”, and former co-host, Samantha Armytage, shared a few tips on life after the show.

“The trick is to get out of the Big Smoke. Go somewhere where it’s quiet, go back to nature, and just get your sleep back,” she said.

“This job is so incredibly difficult, and you can’t say it when you’re in the job because no one wants to be complaining. But when you’re not in the job anymore, you can say how hard this is. There is so much scrutiny. To get up day after day and do this – the resilience, the drive, the ability, the energy to just keep coming in here every day and do that is extraordinary. I absolutely salute you.”

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The show transitioned to an outright celebration when a bedazzled Hans The German dedicated a musical extravaganza to Koch, singing a mash-up of So Long, Farewell from The Sound of Music and Adele’s Someone Like You alongside a band and the Australian Girls Choir. Streamers and balloons filled the studio, as Koch’s grandchildren danced with the Sunrise family.

Later, Barr battled her way through tears, saying Koch would be a lifelong friend who she would miss working with dearly.

“In a world that tells us every day how to act and what to say, you [Koch] have shown Australia that what is important is being yourself,” she said. “No other six-foot-four bald guy would go on national TV and make bets with the national treasurer that he has got his figures wrong.”

She went on to commend Koch for his ability to listen and his seemingly endless capacity to care.

“You have shown us all that a workplace – even a TV show – can have a heart and a soul. It is an incredible legacy and a proud foundation for the future of Sunrise.”

But, of course, Koch had the last word.

“All I can say is thank you. Thank you for having me in your lounge room, in your kitchen ... It has been a buzz. It has been the most spectacular job, it has been the biggest adventure,” he said, before signing off the show for the last time.