Mr Versatile, David Campbell.

It was Sonia Kruger who offered David Campbell a gig on Nine’s Mornings, after he had been filling in for Larry Emdur on Seven’s The Morning Show.

“You know what they say: never go on a holiday. I got poached when Sonia called me up and said, ‘Nine have offered me this show, do you want to do it with me?’ So I said, ‘Yeah! Let’s hang out!’” he recalls.

“I’ve never looked back and I’ve never had more fun.”

That was 4 years ago. After years in cabaret and music theatre, Campbell has had to learn on the job in television presenting. But complementary performance skills served him well, nonetheless.

“Learning to talk to a (cabaret) audience and then going to New York to learn more skills, it put me in good stead for what I’m doing now,” he says.

“Even though there was still more to learn and Sonia was integral to helping me relax on camera, ask questions and have a good time with it, the basis was very handy in the world of Live television.

“So I had to rely on a different skills set.”

On any given day morning television covers interviews, lifestyle, entertainment, opinion and breaking news. Campbell still juggles it all with showbiz commitments, but is relaxed about where he fits in. On his passport he simply puts Entertainer as his occupation.

“I’m too scared to put ‘TV Personality’ because it might cut off another avenue!” he laughs.

“At the end of the day I’ve never qualified myself as a journalist. I’m very cheeky and very curious about peoples’ stories. And we have a great team of producers.

“I’ve also had to moonlight on weekends and the Today show as well, so I pride myself on not having much education but learning super quick.”

Mornings competes with former pals on The Morning Show and more recent newcomer, Studio 10, but Campbell believes it has a point of difference.

“Coming off the back of the Today show I think we do rolling news really well. The Nine News department is second to none,” he attests.

“I think we’ve skewed more in the last 8 -10 months with stuff for guys to watch. Even though we’re doing fashion and all that stuff I think we’re doing more interesting stories. Our panels are now more newsworthy with stuff people want to talk about, there’s poltics, school stuff.

“I think the era of female-dominated (viewers) is changing with more stay-at-home dads, and more people working from home. I get a lot of dads who write to me on Twitter about that sort of stuff.”

Live television, especially those where opinion is rife, can also be a minefield. Saying the wrong thing can result in wildfire reaction on social media or car-crash headlines as colleague Karl Stefanovic knows too well.

In recent weeks Campbell’s own admissions about the dangers of following in his father’s alcoholism triggered a big reaction. Thankfully it was a positive experience.

“I opened up and said ‘This is what I’ve done’ and it resonated with a lot of people,” he says.

“When you’re a child of an alcoholic or an addict you battle the knowledge that it could happen to you at any stage. The risk is higher than it is for others.

“While I wouldn’t necessarily call myself an alcoholic it is a deep, dark room and there are many times in my life I stood at the room and looked in.

“A lot of people have shared stories with me on Facebook and sent links to me on Twitter. I’m very humbled and overwhelmed by that.”

Campbell still juggles other commitments in theatre, producing and performing, conceding that “sooner or later I will have to get off my bum and make another album.” He is also a radio presenter for Smooth FM along with Richard Wilkins, Melissa Doyle, Cameron Daddo and Marcia Hines.

“We love doing it because we actually spruik music that we want to listen to. Ten years ago I did Nova and even though I was into pop music I thought ‘I might be too old for this.’ The great thing about Smooth is that I love Peggy Lee, Buble, new and old Rod Stewart –it’s fantastic.”

On Monday he is reunited with Kruger, who wraps her maternity leave and, as a recent father of twins himself, they may have to resist on air baby talk.

“Sonia and I have a great friendship which really comes through the TV. We make each other laugh,” he says.

“We’re a couple of old showgirls really.”

Mornings airs 9am weekdays on Nine.