In a surprising turn of events, Pauline Hanson, leader of One Nation, has extended a job offer to Karl Stefanovic amidst recent controversies. Reports had emerged from Nine newspapers indicating Stefanovic’s impending departure from the network, a reaction to the backlash regarding his podcast interview with the far-right figure, Tommy Robinson. It’s important to note that this podcast is independently produced and not associated with Nine.
The fallout from the podcast episode seemingly prompted Nine to sever ties with Stefanovic, who has been a mainstay on their flagship morning program, Today, for an impressive twenty years. Presently, Stefanovic is believed to be in talks with the network over the terms of his departure.
During a conversation with Andrew Bolt on Sky News on Wednesday evening, Hanson expressed her criticism of Nine, suggesting the network has shifted its political stance to the “left.”
“Hey, guess what, Karl? I’m looking for someone in my office,” Hanson announced, extending her proposal.
Hanson eagerly invited Stefanovic to join her team, promising a partnership aimed at making a significant impact. “Karl, come and apply for a job with me. We’ll have a great time, we’ll put them all on notice, and we’ll get the country back on track, mate,” she enthused.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is a far-right anti-Islam activist in the United Kingdom, linked to violent anti-immigration riots in the UK and co-founder of the now-defunct anti-Islam group English Defence League.
Here’s how the saga unfolded.
A timeline of the Karl Stefanovic Show
When Stefanovic first launched his independent podcast in January, he promised to “unleash the beast”.
“I have this curious beast inside my head, and I’m about to unleash that beast,” he said in the trailer.
His debut episode, featuring a 55-minute interview with Pauline Hanson, sits at over 300,000 views on YouTube.
In the 66 episodes published since, Stefanovic has interviewed guests ranging from the controversial, such as billionaire Clive Palmer, to the expected, such as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
However, it was his interview with Tommy Robinson published on Tuesday evening that landed Stefanovic in hot water.
Stefanovic introduced Robinson in the interview as “one of Britain’s most controversial figures”.
Robinson, a former tanning salon owner turned anti-Islam activist, has been banned from several social media platforms for violating rules on hateful conduct and hate speech and has multiple criminal convictions.
“I really do admire your tenacity and the courage that you’re showing in trying to stand up for what you believe is right,” Stefanovic told Robinson during the interview.
Stefanovic and Robinson discussed populist politics in the UK, the United States, and elsewhere.
“I love her, Pauline,” Robinson said of the One Nation leader, in reference to the connection between the two figures.
“She’s been through what I’ve been through: she’s been condemned, attacked, battered, every name under the sun.
“And here she is, she’s carried on against all of that backlash.”
Stefanovic and Robinson are seen walking side by side, Robinson wearing a “Unite the Kingdom” T-shirt, the name given to a series of large-scale anti-immigration rallies in London.
The following morning, the interview disappeared from Stefanovic’s YouTube channel, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
Robinson’s return
Why the episode was taken down or who made the call is not yet known.
On Wednesday, Nine distanced itself from the podcast while saying it took his most recent episode “seriously”.
“The Karl Stefanovic Show is a completely independent production,” a Nine spokesperson told the Australian Associated Press.
“Nine has no involvement, including in the guest selection and other editorial processes.
“However, Nine is taking this matter seriously.”
The podcast reportedly sparked a full day of executive crisis talks at Nine.
The interview then appeared on Hanson’s YouTube channel with “CANCELLED” added to the title. Within 23 hours, the video received 207,538 views.
Later on Wednesday, Robinson himself uploaded the interview to his own channel with a similar title.
Stefanovic is in London and was absent from Thursday morning’s Today broadcast. His expected departure was not discussed on the program.
Stefanovic’s contract with Nine was set to expire in December. The breakfast host was reportedly Australia’s highest-paid television presenter, estimated to earn around $2.8 million as the face Australia wakes up to.
The incident is not the first time the breakfast presenter has faced scrutiny since he started co-hosting Today in 2005.
In 2009, Stefanovic looked flushed, slurred his words and giggled through a broadcast the morning after the 2009 Logies.
In 2024, he admitted: “I really was drunk, or at least I certainly looked and sounded drunk.”
In late 2018, Stefanovic stepped down from Today following a scandal in which he was overheard criticising his Nine colleagues. He returned to the show in 2020, and has remained in the role since.
— With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.