Nine Entertainment has confirmed that Karl Stefanovic will leave the Today show immediately, bringing forward a departure originally scheduled for the end of 2026.
The network said Stefanovic and Nine had mutually agreed it was no longer viable for him to continue hosting Today while simultaneously running his independent podcast.
“Nine Entertainment and Karl Stefanovic have agreed that it is no longer possible for him to continue hosting Today at the same time as his independent podcast,” Nine said in a statement.
“While Karl and Nine had previously agreed he would leave Today at the end of this year, they have subsequently decided he will leave the Network immediately.”
READ MORE: Stefanovic stands down from ARN radio show amid Nine termination reports
READ MORE: PM issues warning about Karl Stefanovic: ‘Look at what’s happened’
Nine addresses the newsroom
As the announcement landed, Nine’s Director of News and Current Affairs, Fiona Dear, wrote to staff in an internal email seen by Crikey, acknowledging the strain on the Today team while reaffirming the network’s editorial values.
“Protecting freedom of speech is at the core of 9News and Current Affairs. We have a rich history of interviewing controversial figures, and journalists have an obligation to ask difficult questions,” Dear wrote.
“Part of what makes us tick is trying to understand why people are the way they are, or think the way they think. We welcome open debate and challenging norms with constructive, balanced arguments.”
Nine confirms immediate exit
Nine confirmed Stefanovic’s departure in a statement, saying both parties had agreed it was no longer tenable for him to host Today while running an independent podcast.
“While Karl and Nine had previously agreed he would leave Today at the end of this year, they have subsequently decided he will leave the Network immediately,” the network said.
In an internal email to staff seen by Mediaweek, Nine CEO Matt Stanton acknowledged the volume of media coverage surrounding the exit and framed the departure as the right call for both parties.
“After more than 20 years it’s the right time for Karl to move on from Today and from Nine,” Stanton wrote. “Karl has been a fixture on our screens for over two decades, so we know this is a significant change for our viewers and all of us here at Nine, however it’s the right time to make it.”
Nine CEO Matt Stanton
In a second internal email seen by Mediaweek, Nine Director of News and Current Affairs Fiona Dear acknowledged the strain on the Today team and signalled further announcements on the show’s future were imminent.
“I am acutely aware how challenging this has been, particularly for our Today Show team,” Dear wrote.
“We’ll share more on our plans for the Today Show very soon.”
“As journalists, we play a critical role in society to question, challenge, and hold people to account regardless of where they come from or which political party or views they represent. I am acutely aware of how challenging this has been, particularly for our Today Show team. If you need any support, myself and my leadership team are here for you,” she wrote.
Dear also signalled further announcements were imminent. “We’ll share more on our plans for the Today Show very soon.
We’ve all worked tirelessly to build a news and current affairs brand built on trust and respect, and we will always fight to uphold that.”
Fiona Dear
How the week unfolded
The confirmation came after a turbulent 48 hours for the network.
Reports emerged on Wednesday that Nine executives had held crisis meetings to consider Stefanovic’s future after his independent podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show, published an interview with British far-right activist Tommy Robinson on YouTube.
The episode disappeared from the platform within 24 hours.
Nine initially distanced itself from the content, telling The Daily Telegraph: “The Karl Stefanovic Show is a completely independent production. Nine has no involvement, including in the guest selection and other editorial processes. However, Nine is taking this matter seriously.”
By Wednesday evening, The Australian broke the news that Stefanovic would leave Nine altogether.
However, according to the publication, Nine denied the reports at the time.
Multiple other outlets, including The Guardian, had earlier reported Nine was expected to end his contract.
The controversy also drew political intervention. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson posted on X on Wednesday afternoon, defending Stefanovic, accusing Nine of “trying to sack” him, and alleging that the podcast’s removal was engineered to discredit what she called her “good friend.”
It looks like they’re trying to sack my good friend Karl Stefanovic for this video with Tommy Robinson!
Deb Knight was a huge flop for Channel 9 and while she was busy grilling me over One Nation’s polling Channel 9’s ratings were in the toilet.
In 2019 on live TV with her, I… pic.twitter.com/kAVlr6ZA9z
— Pauline Hanson 🇦🇺 (@PaulineHansonOz) June 23, 2026
The fallout spreads to ARN
The repercussions extended beyond Nine.
Stefanovic will not appear on his ARN radio show The Long Weekend this week, which he co-hosts with Eddie McGuire, with sources telling Mediaweek he chose to stand aside to give all parties time to “review the situation.”
ARN moved quickly to separate itself from the controversy, with a spokesperson telling Mediaweek that Stefanovic’s podcast activities are entirely independent of the network.
“Karl’s association with ARN is limited to specific radio engagements,” the ARN spokesperson said.
“His external media activities, including his podcast, are undertaken in a personal capacity and are entirely separate from the network, which we have no control over. They do not represent ARN’s views, editorial standards or programming.”
Stefanovic and McGuire during a recording of The Long Weekend.
The podcast that broke the camel’s back
All traces of Stefanovic’s podcast interview with anti-Islam activist Robinson were completely wiped online, less than a day after it aired.
In the episode of The Karl Stefanovic Show, Robinson claimed an uprising is in progress in Australia, declared he “loves” Pauline Hanson and declared he’s causing a “f***ing earthquake” in the UK.
Robinson, 43, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was a member of the neo-Nazi-adjacent British National Party (BNP) in the early 2000s and has a lengthy criminal record.
The activist helped found the English Defence League, an anti-Islam movement that organises street demonstrations across Britain.
He has convictions for assault, mortgage fraud, using a false passport and contempt of court, when he was jailed in October 2024 after he ignored a court order not to repeat lies about a Syrian refugee, who sued him for libel and won.
Robinson attracted further attention in recent weeks following unrest in Northern Ireland, where he shared graphic footage online after a stabbing attack in Belfast allegedly carried out by a Sudanese-born suspect and subsequently promoted demonstrations that later descended into violence, including attacks on migrants and the burning of homes.