Karl Stefanovic has suffered an early and significant setback in his increasingly acrimonious podcast business split with Keshnee Kemp, after a judge blocked an alleged plan to remove his former partner from their company.
The dispute centres on the podcast venture the pair launched together. Following a breakdown in their working relationship over the show’s content, the former television star had reportedly intended to force Kemp out of the business at a 9am meeting scheduled for Friday.
That meeting was expected to become the flashpoint in the bitter feud between Stefanovic and Kemp, whose relationship with the presenter carries an added personal layer: she and his wife, Jasmine, have been friends since childhood.
Stefanovic was reportedly set to rely on the backing of longtime friend Anthony Bell, who owns a 10 per cent stake, in an effort to remove Kemp as a director of 123 Podcast Pty Ltd.
According to the Daily Mail, Stefanovic and Bell would have held a combined 55 per cent voting majority. The plan was allegedly to appoint Stefanovic’s longtime manager, Sharon Finnigan, as Kemp’s replacement.
However, NSW Supreme Court Justice David “The Hammer” Hammerschlag intervened on Tuesday, preventing the proposed meeting from going ahead and issuing an injunction against Stefanovic convening it.
Kemp’s media and commercial litigation lawyer, Monica Allen of Blackbay Lawyers, lodged an urgent application late on Monday. Justice Hammerschlag granted the order, restraining Stefanovic, his company and the podcast business from convening or holding the meeting proposed for September 18.
The court order also stops Stefanovic from calling a vote to remove Keshnee Deborah Ibrahim, Kemp’s married name, from her position as a company director.
Karl Stefanovic has lost the opening round of his podcast business battle with Keshnee Kemp, after a judge halted an alleged plan to oust her during a proposed private meeting.
Stefanovic, pictured with wife Jasmine and longtime manager Sharon Finnigan, was reportedly expected to nominate Finnigan as a director of the 123 Podcast company in place of Kemp.
The Daily Mail understands that Kemp brought the urgent legal action against Stefanovic moving against her in the belief that she would receive ‘minimal recompense’ for the company she started with him.
The proposed action to remove Kemp with the help of Bell was, she argued, before her interest in the business had been independently valued.
Celebrity accountant Bell – a longtime friend of Stefanovic as well as acting as his business adviser – owns the minority shareholding via his company Bell Resources.
He was not officially involved in the dispute, however Stefanovic’s power grab was expected to tap into their longstanding alliance.
Instead, Justice Hammerschlag ordered both Stefanovic and Kemp to jointly appoint an independent expert to value the business.
Keshnee’s substantive application alleging ‘oppressive’ conduct by Karl is listed for final hearing on October 13 2026.
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A court document seen by the Daily Mail described Stefanovic’s conduct dating back to August as ‘unfairly prejudicial or discriminatory’.
The long term relationship with Keshnee broke down following his shock sacking from Nine’s Today show on June 25.
Stefanovic (above with Kemp) planned to dump her at 9am on Friday in a sweeping vote with mate Anthony Bell which would oust her as podcast company director and he would install his longtime manager
Celebrity accountant Anthony Bell (pictured, right, in 2015 with Stefanovic,left and cricketer Michael Clarke) owned 10 per cent of the podcast company’s shares and was likely to pair with the TV star to vote out Kemp
The relationship between Karl Stefanovic and Keshnee Ibrahim (pictured above with their spouses, Jason and Jasmine) has ‘irretrievably broken down’ since August and lifelong friends Jasmine and Keshnee have unfollowed each other on Instagram
Stefanovic lost his job and seven-figure salary after Nine bosses drew a line in the sand over his podcast interview with UK far-right figure Tommy Robinson.
Kemp had proposed splitting from the podcast, twice resulting in the appointment of an independent valuer for 123 Podcast. But Stefanovic backed away from progressing a valuation.
On Tuesday, Stefanovic’s barrister Samuel Murray told the Supreme Court that he wished to confine his valuation to the August 7, 2026 date from when the dispute began.
This was after weeks of negotiation over that date had failed.
Monica Allen, for Keshnee Kemp, said that the podcast had originated when Karl had approached her to build and operate the business.
While he was the talent, it is understood Kemp did ‘the heavy lifting’, building a substantial audience, sponsorship and commercial opportunities while Stefanovic was still at Channel Nine’s Today Show.
Kemp has worked in senior positions at Nine and Pacific Magazines, edited major titles owned by ACP, Bauer and Are magazines and in roles such as Woolworth’s head of content.
The court heard on Tuesday that the relationship between Kemp and Stefanovic had ‘irretrievably broken down’ and that a buy-out of shares was an appropriate resolution, if the parties could agree on a valuer.
Justice Hammerschlag set down a hearing for October 13, but said that if the parties wanted to meanwhile attend ‘some sort of mediation. I’m happy to do that. If you can’t agree you can come back.’