Karl Stefanovic’s two-decade run on the Today show has come to an abrupt end, with Nine confirming that the broadcaster has departed the network effective immediately.
The exit follows days of internal turmoil triggered by an interview Stefanovic conducted with British far-right figure Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) on his independent podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show. The episode was pulled from streaming platforms within hours of going live.
Nine framed the split as mutual, saying it had become untenable for Stefanovic to continue hosting Today alongside his outside podcast commitments. While the two parties had previously agreed he would exit at the end of the year, that timeline was accelerated following the backlash.
“Nine Entertainment and Karl Stefanovic have agreed that it is no longer possible for him to continue hosting Today at the same time as his independent podcast. While Karl and Nine had previously agreed he would leave Today at the end of this year, they have subsequently decided he will leave the Network immediately,” said Nine Entertainment.
Today co-host Sarah Abo broke the news to viewers this morning, visibly emotional as she addressed the departure of her long-time on-air partner and “mate”.
She told audiences the past few days had stirred a mix of emotions across the team.
Stefanovic has since posted a video statement to YouTube, filmed from a park bench in London, describing himself as “free” and “truly independent”.
In the video he defended his approach to guest selection saying “Freedom of speech is what the show is about” and that “the public deserve to hear perspectives”.
He thanked his free-to-air audience for their support but did not indicate what his next move would be.
It is the second time in Stefanovic’s career that he has left the network while overseas, the first being in 2018, when he was pulled from the show during his honeymoon over ratings concerns, before returning the following year.
This time, Stefanovic was in London when the decision was made, with talks playing out over several days between his management team and senior Nine figures, including chief executive Matt Stanton, streaming and broadcast boss Amanda Laing, and television director Michael Healy.
Stanton is understood to have been directing discussions from Cannes.
Nine’s news and current affairs boss Fiona Dear sought to separate the decision from any suggestion the network was clamping down on free expression, telling staff that journalists have a responsibility to question and challenge public figures regardless of their political alignment. She also stressed the importance of maintaining audience trust built over decades.
Not everyone has been critical of Stefanovic’s approach. Businessman James Packer, a long-time friend of the broadcaster, publicly defended him this week, suggesting the reaction to the Robinson interview had been overblown.
The fallout also threatens to spill into Stefanovic’s other media commitments. He was side-lined from the third episode of his new radio program with Eddie McGuire on the ARN network on Friday. The broadcaster is reportedly wary of further advertiser boycotts after a previous campaign cost it tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue.
Stefanovic’s departure leaves Nine needing to rebuild its Today line-up at short notice, with Abo also due to start maternity leave in the coming months. A temporary fill-in host has been arranged in the interim, while the network has indicated more detail on the show’s future direction will be shared shortly.
It remains unclear whether Stefanovic will receive a payout for the remainder of his contract, reportedly worth in the vicinity of $1-2 million.
