A surprising number of Aussies have admitted they would keep watching Channel 9’s Today show even if its stalwart host Karl Stefanovic wasn’t on it. Rumours abounded this week that a plan is being concocted to work out his successor if Karl did eventually leave.
Channel 9 put the speculation about their breakfast TV darling to bed and said he’ll be in the hot seat at least for the rest of the year. In the instance that he did finally bid farewell, a poll of hundreds of Yahoo Lifestyle readers found 62 per cent would keep watching the breakfast programme.
Aussie media commentator Andrew Mercado told Yahoo Lifestyle that Today’s success isn’t entirely built around Karl.
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“I don’t think it’s that personality driven,” he said.
“It’s like what happens when someone leaves a soap. They go ‘oh they’re the biggest star, the show will collapse without them’. It’s like, no, it’s actually the show.”
Apart from a brief absence in 2018 and 2019, Karl has been waking up with Aussies on the popular breakfast programme since 2005.
You wouldn’t be alone in thinking Karl is the Today show.
But interestingly, the vast majority of viewers say otherwise.
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How much star power does Karl Stefanovic have?
Karl has built up an army of loyal fans over the fears for his hilarious and “cheeky” personality.
There are plenty of clips that have gone viral purely because of how Karl reacted or what he said, and his Aussie larrikin personality is undeniable.
And yet, Channel 9 is constantly outdone by its rival.
Channel 7’s Sunrise was number one on the ratings every single week last year.
Weekend Sunrise and The Morning Show also topped the charts in their categories and viewers for all three shows were up year-on-year in 2025.
Sunrise has been Australia’s best-rating breakfast programme for 22 years.
While Karl and his co-host Sarah Abo have great chemistry together, it appears they are no match for Sunrise’s combo of Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington.
Sunrise’s Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington continue to outperform Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo in the ratings. Picture: Channel 7 and Channel 9
Who could possibly replace Karl on Today?
Matt was touted as one of the possible replacements for Karl on Today by The Australian this week, but he’d have to be convinced to jump ship.
Keep in mind, Matt took over hosting Channel 7’s breakfast show three years ago after the legendary David Koch stepped down. Kochie had been in the hot seat from 1996 to 1999 and from 2002 until 2023.
The other possibilities thrown into the mix by The Australian were two Channel 9 presenters, Tom Steinfort and Joel Dry.
Andrew told Yahoo Lifestyle that if Karl did decide to leave, Channel 9 should go bold with a new lineup.
“I always think when you come in second place, you’ve got to try to get up there and come first,” he said.
“You have to take a risk.
“While they will [probably] go for a very steady person that they think will work, it could be that the way for Today to get ahead is to do something really startlingly different.”
How much longer would Karl stay at Today?
If the network wanted to play it safe, does that mean Karl has more bargaining power at Channel 9 because he’s such a tour de force on brekkie TV?
The media commentator said while that idea would normally be true, he believed it might not apply to Karl.
“I think he’s been in the chair for so long now and even though young kids aren’t watching TV, networks are still focused on someone that skews young,” he said.
“I think the longer you’re in the chair, sometimes, that may actually work against you.”
Media commentator Andrew Mercado said it’s not a surprise that the majority of Aussies would keep watching the Today show without Karl Stefanovic. Picture: Andrew Mercado
Asked whether he thought Karl would ditch the place he’s called home for more than three decades, Andrew said that will all come down to whether his new venture is a success.
Last month, Karl launched his own podcast and his first guest was Pauline Hanson.
The podcast is designed around the TV host chatting to influential, important, or interesting figures and they do a deep dive on everything and anything.
“I think the other thing you’ve got to remember about breakfast TV is, at a certain age, people just go, ‘Why am I getting up at 3:30am in the morning?'” he added.
“And it could be that Karl is at that point now where he’s going to have a regular nine to five job.
“Or maybe he’s caught up in the routine and he can do it forever.”
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What does Channel 9 have to say about all this?
The Australian this week claimed there was a “not-so-secret” succession plan being brewed at Channel 9 for the eventuality of Karl no longer being on the breakfast programme.
But when approached by Yahoo Lifestyle, the network put those rumours to bed…for now.
“We’re incredibly proud of our Today team and the work they’ve been doing in an already busy 2026 and delighted that, as announced at the Nine Upfronts back in October, Sarah [Abo] and Karl continue to lead the incredible Today team in what will be a big year full of headlines and events that affect the lives of our viewers,” a spokesperson said.
Stefanovic first joined the network in 1994 as a cadet reporter at WIN in Rockhampton and Cairns.
After a stint in New Zealand and at Channel 10, he came back to Channel 9 in 2000 as a reporter and back-up presenter for 9News in Brisbane.
Five years later, he replaced Today host Steve Liebmann and he’s been a main part of the programme ever since, except for his time off in 2018 and 2019.
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