One $7 purchase was all it took to fool hundreds into believing two of Australia’s most vocal media stars were joining forces.
Eagle-eyed fans of the outspoken TV star Karl Stefanovic and shock jock Kyle Sandilands noticed in early July that the latter’s company, King Kyle Group Pty Ltd, had registered new website domains.
The two new additions? KyleandKarl.com.au, and KarlandKyle.com.au.
Sign up to The Nightly’s newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.
The registration of the websites sparked chatter online, with fans believing it was a clear sign that Sandilands and Stefanovic would be launching a new joint podcast or television show in coming weeks.
“This show will be HUGE,” one fan wrote, while another said, “This is the best news I’ve heard all week.”
Their excitement was short-lived, however — with one of the pair’s closest friends now saying the collaboration rumours were nothing more than a prank.
Kyle’s long-time manager and collaborator Bruce Bouchet has confirmed earlier this week that he had cheekily started the rumours — revealing he had bought the two sites as a bit of “clickbait” and “s..t stirring”.
Sandiland’s manager Bruce Bouchet confessed he was the one who started the rumours. Credit: Instagram
Speaking on the Game Changers podcast, Bouchet told hosts Craig Bruce and Irene Hulme that the idea came to him during a conversation with a reporter.
“I had a journo calling me like, ‘What do you think about Karl and Kyle?’,” Bouchet revealed on-air.
“While I was talking to this journo, I registered both domains, and it was the best $7 I ever spent.”
Despite some fans remaining hopeful that two of Australia’s most outspoken men will collaborate on a future project, Bouchet has effectively shut that idea down — telling the podcast hosts he felt the pair were too similar.
“I’ve always thought about, with a producer’s hat on, what would Karl and Kyle’s chemistry bring? Like if you were listening to it, what’s unique about the chemistry?” he said.
“Two rich white guys talking to one another who are of similar age and experience? This isn’t having a go at either of them, but with any partnership you try to figure out what the secret sauce is.
“What is the output that is going to be unique?”
The prank comes after an eventful few months for the two stars, who both lost their long-running media jobs.
Kyle Sandilands and his co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson had their KISS contracts terminated following an on-air clash in February, which later led to the cancellation of their partnership after 27 years.
Karl Stefanovic was sensationally removed from the Today show in June after more than two decades on-air, following public criticism of a podcast interview with far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
