The TV presenter defended his decision to interview a far-right activist and thanked his supporters.
(YouTube/The Karl Stefanovic Show)
Karl Stefanovic has broken his silence after Channel 9 confirmed he would leave the network “immediately”.
Nine revealed on Friday morning that it could “no longer” have the 51-year-old co-host the Today show and run his independent podcast at the same time.
It comes after Stefanovic published an interview with far-right British activist Tommy Robinson on his podcast channel, which was swiftly deleted from streaming services within a few hours.
The TV star addressed the decision in a video on his YouTube channel, where he admitted he didn’t know exactly what the future would hold.
But he said he felt “free” and “truly independent”.
“I didn’t get the chance to thank my free-to-air audience for 21 great years,” he said.
“So, thank you for riding the ups and downs. You have my thanks, and you have all of my love.”
He gave a shoutout to his Today co-host Sarah Abo, and told her to “look after everyone” at the breakfast program, even though she’s due to go on maternity leave in a few weeks.
Stefanovic also thanked his podcast audience for the wealth of messages he’s received in the past few days.
“It has really meant everything to me. It wasn’t easy these last couple of days, but we roll on,” he said to the camera.
Then, he addressed the controversy around interviewing someone like Robinson.
“The public deserves to hear perspectives,” he said.
“On my show, I’ve spoken to people who have different perspectives. I know that winds some people up.
“Sometimes I agree with everything a guest says. Sometimes I don’t.
“But importantly, you get to make up your mind. You have the right to hear from different voices.”
He said his podcast is meant to represent the concept of freedom of speech, and since it was launched, Stefanovic has almost exclusively interviewed politicians on the right side of the spectrum.
Who is Tommy Robinson?
Robinson is a far-right, anti-Islam activist who has built a large following online, campaigning against issues like immigration and what he calls the “LGBTQ indoctrination of children”.
He has also been convicted in the past of harassment, fraud and assault.
When Stefanovic posted a promo for the episode, the backlash came thick and fast.
While some people backed his right to interview whom he liked, many argued he shouldn’t be platforming Robinson.
Karl’s interview with Tommy Robinson has been pulled from streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.
Karl Stefanovic’s controversial podcast
In addition to Robinson, Stefanovic has interviewed controversial chef Pete Evans, Holly Valance, who said this week on the podcast she would be “arrested” if she spoke about her approach to immigration, and a doctor also shared controversial vaccine views in relation to the cause of Shane Warne’s death.
After the promo for the Robinson episode was released on social media, activist group Mad F**king Witches said it would launch a massive campaign targeting Today show advertisers and convince them to pull their money for being linked with Stefanovic.
But there hasn’t been total condemnation.
One of the sponsor’s for the 51-year-old’s podcast, Ringers Western, defended him in the wake of the Robinson episode.
The country clothing and apparel brand’s executive director, Emma Salerno, told Yahoo Lifestyle she saw nothing wrong with it.
(Instagram/Ringers Western)
“From what we can see, Karl is giving a voice to people from all spectrums and freedom of speech is essential to any free and fair democracy,” executive director Emma Salerno told Yahoo Lifestyle.
“The motto of Ringers Western is ‘Stickin Together’, and we live by it.
“We support and stand by The Karl Stefanovic Show and will be continuing our sponsorship of the show.”
In Stefanovic’s YouTube video on Friday, he was hopeful his podcast would soon have more sponsors in the wake of his axing from Channel 9.