Karl Stefanovic Details 'Harrowing' Today Show Axing

Karl Stefanovic has shared details of his departure from the Today show, recounting the moment his celebrity accountant informed him of his termination over the phone. The presenter, 52, was dismissed from Nine on June 26 following significant public backlash after an interview with activist Tommy Robinson on his podcast.

Stefanovic discussed his exit on Mark Beretta's podcast, "Beretts' Best," alongside former Sunrise host David 'Kochie' Koch. He described receiving the call from his accountant, Anthony Bell, while at Heathrow Airport. "Mate, they're pulling up stumps and you're being terminated," Bell reportedly told him.

"For me, that's very final. I've got a lot to think about," Stefanovic said. "I remember sitting down and just going, 'That's just a lot to take in.' Then I rang my wife who was really upset."

He acknowledged that his decisions can affect those closest to him, which he finds difficult to navigate. Stefanovic also addressed a farewell video he recorded for fans after learning of his dismissal. "By that point, I was relieved. I was ready to go. I was ready to leave the show. It wasn't in the way I wanted, but in the end, I was excited about the future," he stated.

Stefanovic indicated that he had mentally disengaged from his role as Today host months prior to his axing, attributing the loss of his enthusiasm to covering the Bondi shootings. "I was done... After I did Bondi, it was just too much for me," he said. He recalled previous experiences reporting on harrowing events like the Nice terror attack, the Brussels terror attack, and the Bali bombings, noting he had always been able to compartmentalize such events.

"For some reason, this being my backyard, I knew a lot of the people who lived there, and I was like, 'I don't want to be here doing any more reporting.' I used to love it," Stefanovic added. He explained that he no longer derived the professional satisfaction, or "buzz," from such assignments, which signaled a significant shift in his perspective on his career.

Separately, Stefanovic has been involved in a legal dispute with his podcast business partner, Keshnee Ibrahim. Ibrahim filed an urgent Supreme Court application seeking to prevent Stefanovic from removing her as a director of their joint podcast company, 123 Podcast Pty Ltd, and requested he buy out her stake in the business.