Nine Entertainment executives are meeting to discuss the future of Channel Nine's highest-paid presenter, Karl Stefanovic, after the Today show co-host published and then quickly deleted an interview with UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Stefanovic, who is on leave from Today this week, filmed himself walking down a London street with his arm slung around Robinson, who has spearheaded recent nationalist demonstrations in the UK.
Interview Removed From Multiple Platforms
By Wednesday morning, the Robinson interview had been removed from Stefanovic's YouTube channel, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. The promo was also wiped from his Instagram account. There was no official explanation for the removal, but it is understood that YouTube did not initiate the takedown. On YouTube, the previous working link now redirects to a page saying “Video unavailable. This video is private.” On Spotify and RSS feeds, the interview no longer appears. At the time of writing, the promo and a clip from the interview remain on Stefanovic's X feed.
Nine Distances Itself From Independent Production
Nine has consistently stated that the Karl Stefanovic Show is an independent production and had declined to comment on its increasingly right-wing content. However, on Wednesday the network changed its stance, saying it was “taking this matter seriously.” A spokesperson said: “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.” Guardian Australia understands that shareholders have expressed their displeasure to Australia's biggest media company, where Stefanovic has been the face of the Today show and Nine News for over 20 years and is paid $2.8 million annually.
Internal Concerns and Ongoing Discussions
Nine insists it did not order Stefanovic to remove the Robinson content, but discussions between Nine and the star presenter are ongoing. Many of Nine's journalists are concerned about the reputation of the company's mastheads, including the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age. Sources not authorised to speak publicly reported “widespread gnashing of teeth” over the friendly treatment of a figure like Robinson.
Content of the Deleted Interview
In the now-deleted Instagram clip, Stefanovic places his arm around Robinson, with the caption: “What happens when speaking your mind comes at a cost? Now live on the show, Tommy Robinson shares his story, chatting all about free speech, censorship, immigration and the direction he believes Britain should be heading in.” In the video, Robinson asks Stefanovic: “Can I ask you a question? Keir Starmer is a … ?” Stefanovic replies, “Wanker,” as the pair laugh loudly together.
Political Reactions
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who was the first guest on Stefanovic's podcast, jumped on the controversy, claiming in a social media post that Nine was “trying to sack my good friend Karl Stefanovic for this video with Tommy Robinson.” She wrote: “Now with 6 months to go on his contract the weak management of Channel 9 want to sack Karl over this interview. Tommy Robinson has a lesson for Australians. If we don’t learn from the UK’s mistakes on immigration and radical Islam, we are going to face the same destruction. This is exactly what Karl was trying to bring to Australia’s attention.” Hanson has since reposted the full video of the interview on her social media channels.
In the interview, Stefanovic does not challenge Robinson's more contentious views and says: “I really do admire your tenacity and the courage that you’re showing in trying to stand up for what you believe is right.” Independent MP Sophie Scamps posted on Instagram that even Reform UK leader Nigel Farage had distanced himself from Robinson. “Nine needs to seriously consider its association with Stefanovic,” she said.
Stefanovic's podcast team has been approached for comment.
