Karl Stefanovic has broken his silence on his sudden departure from Nine, fighting back tears during a raw and candid podcast conversation in which the 51-year-old opened up about the toll the upheaval has taken on his family — and his inability to say a proper farewell to the audience he built over more than two decades.
The former Today host sat down with English broadcaster Piers Morgan for an episode of The Karl Stefanovic Show released on Wednesday, just days after parting ways with Nine following controversy over his decision to interview British far-right figure Tommy Robinson on the same podcast.
Karl Stefanovic reveals the 'hardest thing' about his Nine exit
Stefanovic told Morgan he had learned his time at Nine was over while on a flight from London to Cannes — only hours before the pair sat down to record the interview, which had been arranged prior to his termination.
When Morgan asked whether he had felt emotional since receiving the news, Stefanovic paused mid-sentence, visibly distressed.
"Just when I was thinking about my … just my wife," he said, composing himself. "She puts up with a lot. Her finding out this stuff and having to deal with me, because I'm a lot … to hear her upset was the hardest thing."
He described feeling "discombobulated" by the news, adding that his first instinct was concern for his family. He also revealed his wife had faced a backlash on social media as a result of the scandal.
Stefanovic said the aspect of the situation that pained him most was not being able to address his loyal Today viewers directly.
"I have had an intimate audience for 21 years … but I don't get to say goodbye to them in a public way. So for me not to have that dialogue, that's upsetting to me. It's painful," he said.
Morgan draws parallels to his own on-air exit
Morgan, who was himself forced out of British morning television in 2021 after publicly accusing Meghan Markle of lying during her high-profile interview with Oprah Winfrey — in which the Duchess made allegations of racism within the royal family and spoke of suicidal thoughts — was sympathetic to Stefanovic's predicament.
He described Stefanovic's dismissal as "ridiculous", arguing the veteran host is an "integral part of Australian popular culture".
"It's your right to have anyone you want on your podcast and to ask questions … I just don't understand what Channel Nine are thinking," Morgan said. "What happened to you is very reminiscent to what happened to me."
Stefanovic, for his part, defended his decision to host Robinson and doubled down on his belief in freedom of speech. Now free of his network obligations, he said he could do "whatever I want" .
"I love Australia. I work really f****** hard, and to have it end like that is … I'm not going to stop and roll up in a ball on the side of the f****** highway," he said.
Gold FM also cuts ties as fallout widens
The release of Wednesday's podcast episode coincided with further professional fallout. Radio network Gold FM followed Nine's lead and removed Stefanovic from its roster — a development that landed just three weeks after the launch of The Long Weekend , a Friday afternoon chat show he had been co-hosting with Eddie McGuire.
McGuire hosted that program solo following Stefanovic's exit and read a statement from Gold's owner, the Australian Radio Network (ARN), which moved to distance itself from Stefanovic's podcast series.
Stefanovic confirmed his Nine contract was due to expire at the end of 2026, and said he had informed the network two or three months ago that he intended to leave Today regardless — making the manner of his exit all the more bitter.
The broadcaster gave no indication he intends to step away from public life, suggesting the coming months will reveal where Australia's most recognisable morning television face lands next.
