Karl Stefanovic, recently departed from Australia's "Today" show, discussed the emotional toll of his exit in an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan. Sitting on Morgan's yacht in France, Stefanovic became visibly upset when speaking about how the news affected his wife, Jasmine.
"Just my wife... She puts up with a lot," Stefanovic said, his voice breaking. "Her finding out this stuff and having to deal with me, because I'm a lot, and I'm in the public a lot."
Stefanovic, who referred to his exit from Channel Nine as a "sacking" and "firing," expressed concern about losing his connection with the Australian public after more than two decades on breakfast television. "I can go into any place around Australia from Broome to Cairns to Launceston. I walk into a pub and every time someone yells out, 'F***ing Karlos! Get a beer up ya!' That bond for me, with real Australian people, is something that I don't take for granted," he stated.
Morgan, who himself departed "Good Morning Britain" in 2021 after controversial comments about Meghan Markle, shared his own experiences. He told Stefanovic that he should be "allowed to interview whoever he wants" and encouraged him to resist "cancel culture" and "mob rule."
"You are looking at someone who has a much bigger career because of what happened. I've been in your shoes, I know opportunities will come your way," Morgan said, referencing his own career trajectory after leaving his former program.
Stefanovic's departure from "Today" followed backlash over an interview he conducted with British far-right activist Tommy Robinson on his podcast, "The Karl Stefanovic Show." The interview was initially uploaded to YouTube but later deleted. Channel Nine stated that Stefanovic could not continue with the network while hosting his podcast. The exit reportedly concluded with a six-figure settlement.
In addition to leaving "Today," Stefanovic's radio venture with ARN, "The Long Weekend," co-hosted with Eddie McGuire, has also ended. The show, which Stefanovic had appeared on for only two episodes, was dropped by the network following the controversy surrounding the Robinson interview. Stefanovic's contract with ARN was reportedly worth approximately $200,000 for the remainder of the year.
Meanwhile, reports suggest a potential new collaboration may be in the works, as shock jock Kyle Sandilands has registered domain names including "kyleandkarl.com.au" and "karlandkyle.com.au." These registrations, made through Sandilands' company, hint at a possible partnership with Stefanovic.
Stefanovic had been a fixture at Nine for about 25 years and had six months remaining on his contract, valued at over $1 million. He also posted a video online declaring his newfound freedom and emphasizing the importance of "freedom of speech."