Everyone seems to be calling for Karl Stefanovic’s return to TV – and with his new show This Time Next
Year set to air next week, it looks like the former Today host is officially back!
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After a six-month hiatus, the TV favourite has been slowly building up his career and public profile again – attending the Logies in June and taking on a radio hosting role at 2GB.
But while sources reveal Karl “is thrilled to be back in the action and can’t wait to work hard and prove himself”, there are fears that his busy new schedule will mean that the father of three will be spending less time at home with his wife Jasmine.
The pair married in December last year in a lavish ceremony in Mexico, and since saying ‘I do’, Karl has been lying low after he left the Today show.
It would mean that Jasmine has no doubt been used to having her husband around all the time. According to their Instagram accounts, the couple have been travelling overseas and Karl has also been supporting his wife in her successful shoe business.
While baby news has been circling the couple, if Karl is set to get back to work full-time, could his demanding new schedule mean that plans to start a family with Jasmine will be put on hold?
While Jasmine has been seen to be nothing but supportive – attending the charity event Gold Dinner for the Sydney Children’s Hospital alongside her husband in May – Karl being back in the spotlight would no doubt be putting pressure on their relationship and future plans as he tries to juggle work with family.
Recently, a source revealed that Karl was called to an agent meeting with the Nine Network and the couple were spotted on the same day sharing a tense moment in the car.
Jasmine then kicked her husband out of the car, before he was seen walking away, leaving many asking whether his discussions with the network and increased work schedule have caused tension in the relationship. His return to Today would mean Karl would be away from home more often.
Last week The Daily Telegraph reported: “With Nine News bosses said to be considering sending Stefanovic back to the breakfast slot – perhaps, in a roving senior reporter role – his prime-time reappearance on This Time Next Year could be the litmus test they need to measure whether viewers are ready to welcome him back on the box.”
But while this would be good news for Karl’s career, “a roving senior reporter role” would require him to pack his bags and travel locally, and even possibly overseas, and be away from home for weeks or months at a time to cover a story.
The source also claims that he could be considered for a role with the network’s 60 Minutes, and added: “Karl is back in the Nine fold. He is preparing to jet off on a mammoth around-the-world trip with 60 Minutes where he will be covering three stories for them. He will be away for weeks, if not months.
“But the news is bittersweet, as he will be leaving Jasmine for the first time since they got hitched. She already had concerns that he would be going back to work crazy hours on the Today show, but this is in many ways worse.”
While Jasmine and Karl did manage long distance in the early stages of their relationship, now some fear the time apart could test their marriage.
But with Karl said to be eager to focus on his future with Jasmine, the TV host could already be feeling the pressure to put the brakes on his career to be closer to home.
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