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Australia's highest-paid TV presenter faces backlash over Tommy Robinson interview
Nine said Stefanovic could not keep hosting Today while running his independent podcast, after the Robinson interview drew widespread backlash.
- On Friday, June 26, 2026, Nine Entertainment and Karl Stefanovic mutually agreed he would leave the Today show effective immediately, ending his 21-year tenure and bringing forward his previously planned end-of-year departure.
- Nine executives held crisis meetings after Stefanovic's independent podcast featured British activist Tommy Robinson on Tuesday; the episode was removed from YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Instagram within 12 hours, prompting management to cite incompatibility with his hosting duties.
- In a YouTube video filmed from London, Stefanovic declared he is "free" and "truly independent," defending his podcast's mission to give viewers "people who have different perspectives" while thanking audiences for 21 years on television.
- Stefanovic has withdrawn from a scheduled radio appearance with Eddie McGuire on Friday, disrupting his media commitments. It remains unclear whether Nine will pay out the estimated $1 million balance of his contract.
- Stefanovic's departure underscores tension between his independent editorial voice and Nine's corporate brand standards, reflecting a shift in content choices since launching his podcast in January 2026 that had increasingly distanced him from the network.
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Australian Today show host Karl Stefanovic to leave, network confirms
Veteran Today show host Karl Stefanovic will leave Channel Nine after a controversial podcast interview with British far-right figure Tommy Robinson. Nine today confirmed it would part ways "effective immediately".
·New Zealand
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Tommy Robinson helped remove Karl Stefanovic from Today - so who is he?
Karl Stefanovic has officially parted ways with Nine, after his podcast with Tommy Robinson exploded with chaotic consequences this week. Many Australians are now asking who this man, who contributed to the story of Stefanovic’s end to decades on Nine, even is? Who is Tommy Robinson? 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 crim…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources26
Leaning Left7Leaning Right7Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution37% Left, 37% Right
Bias Distribution
- 37% of the sources lean Left, 37% of the sources lean Right
37% Right
L 37%
C 26%
R 37%
Factuality
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