Karl Stefanovic will leave Nine as the network severs ties with its long-serving Today presenter following fallout from his controversial podcast interview with British right-wing activist Tommy Robinson.
In a statement released on Friday morning, Nine confirmed Stefanovic will “leave the network immediately” and will not continue to host the Today show until the end of the year, as previously agreed.
“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,” a Nine spokesperson said.
“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.”
Staff were notified of Stefanovic’s exit in an email sent by network chief executive Matt Stanton on Friday, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Mr Stanton said it was the “right time for Karl to move on from the Today show and Nine”.
“Karl has been a fixture on our screens for over two decades, so we know this is a significant change for our viewers and all of us here at Nine, however it’s the right time to make it,” Mr Stanton said.
The SMH, which is owned by Nine Entertainment, said executives “finalised the terms” of Stefanovic’s exit on Friday, although it is not clear whether the host will be paid the remaining $1 million of his contract.
Stefanovic’s Today co-host Sarah Abo was visibly emotional as she broke the news of his departure to viewers live on air.
“We know there has been a lot of speculation about Karl’s future with the show,” she said.
“This morning we wanted to inform you that Karl will not be returning to the Today show or to Nine.
“Karl has of course woken up with Today for 21 years, so we know this is a huge change for our viewers and of course for us, not just here on the desk, but behind the scenes because there’s a big team that puts this beautiful show together for you everyday.
“He’s our mate, and he is our colleague and it goes without saying Karl’s presence will be missed.”
Abo, who is due to go on maternity leave in the coming months, said it was a “tough day”.
“We’ve spoken to a lot of people over the past few days who have varying emotions,” she said.
“They’re upset, they’re angry, they’re sad this is all happening, and we all wish it wasn’t ending like this and that we could say goodbye to you Karl, our friend, in a different way.”
Stefanovic first joined Today in 2005 as a news reporter and co-host alongside Tracy Grimshaw.
He was previously taken off the show in late 2018, but returned to the network’s on-air lineup in early 2020.
Nine executives reportedly held crisis talks over the Today host’s future on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after he promoted his interview with Robinson on his independent podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show.
“We speak to Tommy Robinson. The guy you’ve all been asking for,” Stefanovic wrote on X, alongside a clip of the pair walking through London.
“The ultimate disruptor. Many say, a voice for the people. This is a wild chat you can’t miss.”
During the interview, Stefanovic referred to recently resigned British Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer as a “w****r”.
He also told Robinson he admired his “tenacity” and “courage” in “trying to stand up for what you believe is right”.
Nine newspapers reported the production “infuriated” senior executives, who were blindsided by Stefanovic’s choice of guest and “stunned” by footage showing him embracing Robinson.
Stefanovic removed the full podcast interview from all platforms within 24 hours, however, promotional clips for the interview remained on his personal X account.
According to the SMH, Nine executives had been growing increasingly frustrated with Stefanovic since he launched his independent podcast in January.
The publication reported that Nine had given him “permission to pursue it as part of a recent deal to cut his pay packet”.
Before Friday’s decision, a Nine spokesperson told SkyNews.com.au that The Karl Stefanovic Show was a “completely independent production”.
“Nine has no involvement, including in the guest selection and other editorial processes. However, Nine is taking this matter seriously,” a spokesperson said.
While there has been backflash following the interview, Stefanovic has also received an outpouring of public support.
Just hours after reports emerged that he was expected to be axed by Nine, a petition urging the network to “save” the presenter and “fight back” attracted thousands of signatures.
Fans also flooded the Today show’s social media pages with messages backing the veteran host.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who previously appeared on The Karl Stefanovic Show, had also republished the deleted interview with Robinson on her own social media channels on Wednesday.
“Cancelled: The Full Karl Stefanovic and Tommy Robinson Interview,” she titled the video.
Speaking to Sky News Australia on Wednesday, Ms Hanson said Nine would be “bloody stupid” to axe Stefanovic.
Stefanovic has been absent from Today all week after taking scheduled leave in London, with Tom Steinfort filling in alongside Abo.
The timing is particularly significant given Abo is due to begin maternity leave in August, with Stefanovic having previously declared he had no desire to front the breakfast show with anyone else.
“I don’t see Sarah (Abo) ever being replaced,” he told Stellar in February.
“I genuinely have no interest in working with anyone else.”
His departure now leaves Nine facing fresh uncertainty over the future lineup of its flagship breakfast program.
Speculation about Stefanovic’s long-term future at Nine had surfaced even before this week’s controversy.
In April, media commentator Andrew Mercado suggested the breakfast television veteran may have been preparing to move on after decades of early morning starts.
Adding another twist to the saga, Stefanovic only last month launched a new weekly radio show with former Nine heavyweight Eddie McGuire.
The pair host The Long Weekend, a vodcast distributed across Nine-owned platforms 9Now and Stan, raising fresh questions about the future of the project following Friday’s decision.
The dramatic development comes just days after Stefanovic was nominated for the 2026 TV Week Logie Award for Most Popular News or Public Affairs Presenter.
Abo and his former Today co-host Ally Langdon are also nominated.