Karl Stefanovic’s venture into podcasting has attracted fresh controversy after his latest episode featured a far-right political figure from the United Kingdom. Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, appeared on an hour-long episode of the Karl Stefanovic Show on Tuesday to discuss free speech, censorship, immigration, and the direction he believes Britain should be heading.
Who is Tommy Robinson?
Robinson founded the far-right Islamophobic group the English Defence League. The 43-year-old is infamous for social media stunts that led to bans from Facebook and Instagram for incidents including calls for violence targeted at Muslims. He has also been jailed multiple times for assault and contempt of court after making repeated false allegations about a Syrian refugee.
During the podcast episode, Stefanovic did not press Robinson on his past crimes or controversies. Instead, he asked questions such as “how is the right going to take power over in the next three years?”. Introducing Robinson, Stefanovic said: “Loved by supporters and condemned by critics, few figures have had a bigger impact on Britain’s cultural wars. Tommy, great to talk with you finally.”
Backlash and Expert Concerns
Robinson’s appearance on the episode set social media alight, with users condemning Stefanovic’s decision to give him a platform. Griffith University Associate Professor Paul Williams, whose expertise includes politics, elections, and political culture, agreed with the concerns raised.
Williams told 7NEWS.com.au that Stefanovic’s two decades hosting the Today show meant a large number of Australians would recognise him and likely trust his opinion. “I think this has the potential for enormous impact,” he said. “I’m not saying it will produce that impact but it certainly has that potential because Stefanovic is a cornerstone figure of mainstream media, he’s been in people’s living rooms for years. When we talk about a mainstream figure like Stefanovic entertaining a fringe figure like Tommy Robinson, I think it should ring alarm bells for those who are interested in keeping Australia unified and not culturally divided.”
Williams added that Stefanovic associating with Robinson could “act as some sort of conduit” for Australians being exposed to the extremities of right-wing politics. He also noted concerns over the podcast exacerbating issues within Australian politics if divisive guests continued to be platformed. “I don’t think anyone could possibly say that that sort of speech is going to bring more harmony,” Williams said. “That’s the fear, irrespective of whether you agree or disagree with what Stefanovic has said or what Robinson has said, I think the conclusion is that it’s not going to produce more harmony. It will produce less. We need to turn the temperature down in political discourse and these sorts of activities tend to turn the temperature up.”
Free Speech and Removal from YouTube
Williams did, however, add that Stefanovic was free to interview whom he pleased because he was afforded an implied right to free speech. The podcast episode was removed from YouTube just hours after being published, only to be reuploaded to Pauline Hanson’s Please Explain account. It is unclear why the episode was first removed.
“Tommy Robinson has a lesson for Australians,” the reupload is captioned. “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.” The caption also accused Channel Nine of “trying to sack my good friend Karl Stefanovic for this video with Robinson”.
Channel Nine issued a statement regarding the blowback, saying the podcast 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.” A representative for Stefanovic was contacted for comment.
