Karl Stefanovic has pulled out of his upcoming ARN radio appearance on Friday as the broadcaster quietly reassesses its future association with the Today host following the fallout over his controversial political podcast.
ARN confirmed to Daily Mail that Stefanovic will not appear on The Long Weekend with Karl & Eddie this Friday, alongside co-host Eddie McGuire.
The network but would not comment on the matter further.
Industry sources meanwhile stressed the decision was made by the television star himself, not the network.
The source said Stefanovic wanted to take a step back after a whirlwind 24 hours of intense public scrutiny.
‘Karl has told them he doesn’t want to come on air,’ an industry insider told Daily Mail on Thursday.
Karl Stefanovic has pulled out of his upcoming ARN radio appearance on Friday as the broadcaster quietly reassesses its future association with the Today host following the fallout over his controversial political podcast
ARN confirmed to Daily Mail that Stefanovic will not appear on Friday’s show, but would not comment on the matter further
‘I think he just wants to take some time after the last 24 hours.
‘But I wouldn’t use that as the assumption that something’s going to happen. The reality is everyone wants to know what ARN is going to do next.’
The insider said no decision has been made about Stefanovic’s future with the network.
‘It’s in consideration and no decisions have been made,’ the source said.
‘I think the important thing to remember from an ARN perspective is they understand better than anyone the impact of boycotting and that kind of stuff following the Karl controversy.
‘But equally, he’s only on air once a week for an hour, so he’s not main game like he is for Channel Nine.
‘I think everything is being considered.’
The source added that the issue has become impossible for the network to ignore.
Industry sources meanwhile stressed the decision was made by the television star himself, not the network
‘It’s obviously front-page news. It is what it is.’
Karl has spent more than 25 years at the network and has fronted Today for much of the past two decades, becoming one of Australia’s most recognisable media personalities.
Nine previously stressed the podcast was produced independently and was not affiliated with the network, but confirmed it was taking the controversy seriously.
It comes amid reports Stefanovic is ‘set to resign’ in the coming days.
On Wednesday evening, The Sydney Morning Herald confirmed Stefanovic’s departure from Nine, indicating the decision was made in part to ‘defuse a major advertiser boycott.’
Stefanovic, who is currently on two weeks’ leave in London, was told the network ‘wanted to part ways‘. He is expected to depart immediately.
The TV star, who has been a Nine stalwart for some 25 years, has six months and over $1million left to be paid on his 12-month contract.
According to sources via news.com.au, he is pushing for a full payout of the remainder of his contract – similar to the lucrative exits secured by former Nine radio heavyweights Alan Jones and Ray Hadley – despite their vastly different departure circumstances.
Sources also claim Stefanovic was seeking to be released from his contract as soon as possible to pursue other media opportunities.
The Australian had earlier reported that Stefanovic has ‘almost certainly’ appeared on the breakfast show for the last time.
The Today show star uploaded the controversial chat with the British far-right activist to his YouTube channel podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show, on Tuesday, only to delete it a short time later after facing widespread backlash. (Pictured: Tommy Robinson)
A source told the Daily Mail on Wednesday evening that Stefanovic was indeed ‘gone’.
The network was huddled in ’11th hour closed-door meetings’ in Sydney on Wednesday to determine his exit from the station.
The Daily Mail sought comment from Channel Nine and a representative for Stefanovic.
Stefanovic – who has been branded ‘Joe Bogan’ thanks to his attempt at replicating the success of Joe Rogan‘s podcast – sparked controversy when he published the interview with Robinson which discussed Islam, immigration and Australian politics.
By Wednesday morning, the interview had vanished from Spotify, Apple Podcasts and The Karl Stefanovic Show YouTube channel.
Meanwhile, activist group Mad F**king Witches (MFW) announced that it had launched a campaign against Stefanovic over the podcast with Robinson.
The grassroots organisation is known for launching advertising boycotts against media figures, having previously targeted Kyle Sandilands.
Stefanovic – who has been branded ‘Joe Bogan’ thanks to his attempts at replicating the success of Joe Rogan’s podcast – sparked controversy this week when he published an interview with divisive far-right commentator Robinson
‘Nine should be well aware: them taking Karl’s podcast down won’t stop us. In fact, it makes us even angrier they seem to think we’re so easily fooled and silenced,’ the organisation wrote on X.
In a statement to Daily Mail on Wednesday before Stefanovic’s resignation, a Nine spokesperson said his podcast was produced independently, and while it had no affiliation with the TV network, they were treating the matter seriously.
‘The Karl Stefanovic Show is a completely independent production,’ a spokesperson told Daily Mail.
‘Nine has no involvement, including in the guest selection and other editorial processes.
‘However, Nine is taking this matter seriously.’
Pauline Hanson backed her ‘good friend’ Stefanovic before his resignation by uploading his pulled interview with Robinson to her own YouTube channel.
Hanson weighed in on the saga on X, accusing the Nine Network of trying to ‘sack’ the Today show host.
‘It looks like they’re trying to sack my good friend Karl Stefanovic for this video with Tommy Robinson!’ she wrote.
Hanson then criticised Nine’s performance and management and justified sharing Stefanovic’s interview as a warning about immigration and extremism, arguing he was raising issues Australians need to confront.
‘Deb Knight was a huge flop for Channel 9 and while she was busy grilling me over One Nation’s polling, Channel 9’s ratings were in the toilet,’ she added.
‘In 2019 on live TV with her, I called on Channel 9 to bring back Karl. Now with six months to go on his contract the weak management of Channel 9 want to sack Karl over this interview.
‘Tommy Robinson has a lesson for Australians. If we don’t learn from the UK’s mistakes on immigration and radical Islam, we are going to face the same destruction. This is exactly what Karl was trying to bring to Australia’s attention.’
Hanson then concluded her post by asking: ‘Have Channel 9 become just as bad as the ABC?’
Robinson has been a prominent figure in right-wing activism in the UK for almost a decade, and has a lengthy criminal record.
