world
Karl Stefanovic and Nine Network agree to immediate exit over podcast conflict
Nine Entertainment said Karl Stefanovic will depart the network effective immediately. The move follows an agreement that he could no longer host Today while running an independent podcast. He had been scheduled to exit at the end of 2026.
mumbrella.com.auAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Karl Stefanovic is leaving the Nine network immediately, Nine Entertainment said in a statement on Friday. The broadcaster and Stefanovic agreed it was no longer possible for him to continue hosting Today at the same time as his independent podcast. Nine had previously agreed Stefanovic would leave Today at the end of 2026.
The parties subsequently decided he would exit the network at once. The departure was announced on the Today show just after 6 a.m. on 26 June 2026 by co-host Sarah Abo. “We’ve spoken to a lot of people over the past few days, [who] have varying emotions,” Abo said on air.
In a video recorded from a park bench in London, he said he had not been able to thank his free-to-air audience for 21 years and added that freedom of speech was central to his podcast. Nine chief executive Matt Stanton told staff in an internal email that it was the right time for Stefanovic to move on after more than 20 years.
News and current affairs chief Fiona Dear said the network would share plans for the Today show very soon.
Stefanovic has hosted Today on and off for more than 20 years and has been at Nine for 26 years. The program regularly reaches hundreds of thousands of viewers each morning.
