Karl Stefanovic is set to lose his weekly radio show on ARN’s Gold network, days after Nine terminated his contract over a controversial interview with British far-right activist Tommy Robinson, sources have told Mediaweek.
Stefanovic began co-hosting the weekly show The Long Weekend with broadcaster Eddie McGuire earlier this year on Gold, which is owned by ARN. Stefanovic did not appear on last Friday’s episode of the program after backlash over his interview with Robinson and his departure from Nine.
How Stefanovic’s Nine exit unfolded
Nine confirmed Stefanovic’s immediate departure from Today last week, bringing forward an exit originally scheduled for the end of the year after the network said hosting Today alongside his independent podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show, was no longer workable.
The Robinson episode that triggered the fallout was pulled from YouTube within 24 hours of publication.
Stefanovic later posted a video declaring himself “finally free” and defending the podcast on free speech grounds, while confirming the show would continue. ARN, meanwhile, moved to put distance between itself and the controversy, with a spokesperson telling Mediaweek Stefanovic’s external media work is “undertaken in a personal capacity and entirely separate from the network.”
Interview off the table
McGuire had flagged an exclusive sit-down with Stefanovic for this week, telling listeners on last Friday’s broadcast that his co-host would break his silence on the Nine fallout.
That plan has since been abandoned.
ARN has confirmed McGuire will keep The Long Weekend running, though sources said a revised format is still being worked out now that Stefanovic is gone.