Karl Stefanovic’s exit from Nine has spread to his radio career, with ARN dropping the co-host of The Long Weekend.
The Gold FM show, which Stefanovic fronted alongside Eddie McGuire, launched last month and had aired two episodes before controversy broke. Stefanovic came under fire for featuring UK right-wing activist Tommy Robinson on his own independent podcast. The interview drew criticism from media commentators for failing to challenge Robinson’s claims and was pulled offline shortly after.
The Nine-owned Australian Financial Review reported that ARN has now terminated Stefanovic’s contract, understood to be worth around $200,000 through to the end of the year. McGuire will continue hosting The Long Weekend solo, with the program expected to be reshaped around him going forward.
Stefanovic sat out last week’s episode, though McGuire told listeners his co-host would join this Friday’s show to address his Nine departure directly. It’s understood that conversation won’t go ahead in its planned form.
The Long Weekend runs across multiple platforms, including video episodes published through Nine’s own 9Now.
The Daily Telegraph has reported that Kyle Sandilands has registered “Kyle and Karl” as a website domain. It follows Sandilands’ own recent departure from ARN. Sandilands settled a wrongful termination claim against the network for a reported $14 million, following an on-air falling out with former co-host Jackie O Henderson. Henderson’s own legal action against ARN, seeking $82 million, remains unresolved.
Nine confirmed Stefanovic’s immediate departure last Friday, ending his run on Today ahead of his contract’s original end-of-year timeline.
Stefanovic addressed the controversial Tommy Robinson interview on the podcast episode, telling Morgan he viewed it as “a legitimate interview”. Stefanovic defended his choice to platform the activist as part of covering political developments in the UK.
Morgan, who left Good Morning Britain in 2021 following backlash over comments made about Meghan Markle, told Stefanovic he believed corporate advertisers were the root cause of the pressure applied to Nine, rather than the network itself.
“My message to the advertisers and to the corporate bosses at Channel Nine and other companies like that is for God’s sake, stand up to the mob. Don’t bow in this cowardly manner because when you do, they will keep coming and eventually everyone gets cancelled,” Morgan said on the Karl Stefanovic show, regarding Stefanovic’s dismissal.
Stefanovic has continued building out his independent podcast. A new episode featuring Piers Morgan, recorded shortly after his Nine exit was confirmed, has already gone up. It featured the pair bonding over their shared experience of being pushed out of breakfast television roles due to controversy.
B&T contacted ARN for comment.
