In a statement provided to TV Blackbox, a spokesperson from Nine Entertainment said:
“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.”
In confirming the departure, Nine also revealed Stefanovic had already been due to step down from Today at the end of the year, with both parties agreeing to bring forward his exit following the fallout from his independent podcast.
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The confirmation follows days of scrutiny surrounding an interview with British far-right activist Tommy Robinson on Stefanovic’s podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show. The episode was later removed from online platforms after attracting widespread criticism.
With no more early starts on Today, Karl Stefanovic may finally have time to put his feet up after Nine confirmed the broadcaster’s immediate departure from the network (image – The Karl Stefanovic Podcast)
While Stefanovic’s departure had been widely reported on Wednesday, including by this website, Nine’s statement marks the first official confirmation of his exit.
Staff were informed of the decision in an internal email from Nine’s Executive Director of News and Current Affairs, Fiona Dear, on Friday morning.
In the message, Dear reaffirmed the network’s commitment to “protecting freedom of speech” and its “rich history of interviewing controversial figures“, while acknowledging the situation had been “challenging“, particularly for the Today team.
She added that Nine would “share more on our plans for the Today Show very soon“.
While Stefanovic’s end-of-year departure may not come as a complete surprise given he signed only a one-year contract extension last year, Nine’s statement confirms both parties had already agreed he would leave Today before the podcast controversy accelerated that timeline.
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TV Blackbox also understands Stefanovic will not feature in this week’s episode of his recently launched ARN podcast with Eddie McGuire, having temporarily stepped away from the program amid the ongoing scrutiny.
In a statement, ARN stressed its involvement is limited to the podcast and does not extend to Stefanovic’s activities outside that agreement.
Attention will now turn to Nine’s plans for Today, with the network expected to outline its hosting arrangements in the coming days.
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