Karl Stefanovic has broken his silence amid an ugly legal stoush with his podcast business partner to announce his return to the podcast airwaves.
The former Channel 9 personality had cast doubt over the future of his podcast, which he committed to fully after his departure from the Today show in June, after no new episodes appeared on his feeds over the last three weeks.
Now, Stefanovic has marked his return by teasing an upcoming episode with interviewee Adrian Portelli.
“It’s the one you’ve all been asking for. Adrian Portelli AKA ‘Lambo Guy’,” Stefanovic teased of the episode on social media.
“His battle with the establishment, his move to Dubai and why he no longer trusts the government,” he added.
The episode is expected to drop this afternoon at 5pm.
In the preview clip, Portelli discusses his recent move to Dubai and mentions people “really coming down on me.”
“Once you start making a bit of noise, this system cracks down,” Portelli says.
The podcast’s reappearance comes amid speculation that Stefanovic had “lost interest” in The Karl Stefanovic Show and was plotting a return to mainstream media with a 2GB radio gig.
Sources who spoke with news.com.au claimed that Stefanovic had approached the network for a full-time gig, but 2GB just spent a small fortune to lock down morning show host Ben Fordham for another five years.
That speculation came after news broke of a legal stoush between Stefanovic and his podcast business partner, Keshnee Ibrahim, which culminated in a NSW Supreme Court civil claim.
Ibrahim, a joint owner of the company behind the podcast, alleged Stefanovic had run the venture in an “oppressive” and “unfairly prejudicial … or unfairly discriminatory” manner and was trying to push her out of the business.
Stefanovic owns 45 per cent of the business while Ibrahim and her husband, Jason Ibrahim, also own 45 per cent. Stefanovic’s agent and accountant Anthony Bell owns the final 10 per cent, but he is not party to these proceedings.
Ibrahim reportedly launched the civil claim to prevent a company meeting amid fears she’d be pushed out as director.
Stefanovic agreed the pair’s relationship had “irretrievably broken down,” but denied Ibrihim’s allegations of running the company in a way that was “oppressive” to her interests.
The judge overseeing the claim, Justice David Hammerschlag, said it would end either in a total wind-down of the business on an “equal basis,” or with Stefanovic buying out Ibrihim.
“Then the question just becomes – what’s the value for the buyout?” Hammerschlag said.
Portelli, who has made headlines in his own right, is one of multiple controversial voices who has appeared on The Karl Stefanovic Show since its launch., including One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and British far-right figure Tommy Robinson.
The latter interview drew widespread criticism over its soft approach to such a controversial figure, culminating in his sacking as the Today show host and the end of his multimillion-dollar contract.
Stefanovic’s civil claim with Ibrihim was adjourned to October 13 and 14.