Australian broadcaster, Jessica Rowe got honest about how she really feels about her former co-host Karl Stefanovic in her latest podcast.
In 2006, Rowe and Stefanovic co-hosted Today together. However, Rowe left the morning show after being panned by critics and viciously roasted in the tabloids.
Ultimately Rowe was fired after returning from maternity leave. The scandal was further enhanced when it was leaked that McGuire, the then CEO of the Nine Network at the time, allegedly said he was going to “bone” Rowe from her role on The Today Show.
It was messy, awful, and. humiliating for Rowe.
At the time, Stefanovic didn’t comment on what happened publicly. Instead, he stayed on hosting and is still the host of Today.
Earlier this year, Rowe had Stefanovic on as her first guest to launch her new podcast, The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show. The podcast episode soared to number 1 on the charts.
During the interview, Stefanovic apologised to Rowe and said: “You didn’t have a guy next to you who could have protected you and helped you in the way that I should have, and for that, I’m always sorry.
“Part of why I’m here today is to apologise to you. I wish I’d been a better person, a better man, and a stronger man, not just for myself, but for you.”
To celebrate the 1st anniversary of her podcast, Rowe spoke about how she felt about Stefanovic after his apology.
Rowe candidly shared that she had some unresolved negative feelings about Stefanovic before their interview. News.com.au reported that She said: “From my perspective, there was bitterness and resentment.
“And I don’t like feeling like that because it eats you up. They’re such negative emotions. But for me, I found it hard to move past that. There was always this part of me that felt heavy, or I’d look at Karl’s success, and there’d be a part of me that would feel jealous and resentful: ‘Hey, why is that happening to you, and it’s not happening to me?’
However, since Stefanovic’s appearance on her podcast. Rowe disclosed that she feels completely different about him.
She said: “Hearing those words from Karl meant so much to me, and I hadn’t expected it to have the impact that it did.
“It lifted a weight that I’d been carrying. I didn’t mean to be carrying it, but it was there. It was my baggage, and I felt lighter after our conversation.
“He was open to saying: ‘You know what? If I had my time again, I would’ve done it differently.’”
Rowe’s admission is a lovely reminder that apologies really do make a difference.
