Lisa Wilkinson insists there was never any bad blood with Karl Stefanovic after she left the Today show in 2017.
WATCH: Lisa Wilkinson denies any ‘bad blood’ between her & Karl Stefanovic
“Oh god there was no falling out,” she told Hit105’s Stav, Abby and Matt. “Karl and I still text each other and we still see each other from time to time, but he is hopeless at catching up.”
“He’ll say let’s have dinner on Saturday night and then you don’t hear from him again, so Karl I’m still waiting for dinner.”
The tv host also admitted she was surprised when her former co-host announced he would be returning to the Today show.
“Look I was surprised because he now knows what it’s like to sleep past that 3am alarm, but he clearly feels like there is some unfinished business so I can’t wish those guys anything but luck,” she said. “They’ve have obviously had a tough couple of years [and] I wish them well, when you know the pain of that 3am alarm and you are still prepared to do the hard yards I wish them luck.”
Karl confirmed his return recently, telling the Sydney Morning Herald that the news has “shocked” him more than anyone.
“I am as shocked about this as everyone else,” he told the publication.
“It’s not something I thought would ever come up again. I thought my time was up, but then, when I was sounded out about it, it got me thinking. It’s a big job with enormous pressures and I know only too well some of those pitfalls, but it is also without question the best live TV job in Australia.”
While Karl gets ready for his return as co-host, it’s come to light that he’s agreed to forfeit a third of his salary package, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Karl’s last contract, negotiated in December 2015 with Nine’s then new CEO Hugh Marks, included a $1 million dollar “image bonus” and part of — or all of which — could be withheld by bosses should he fail to achieve standards expected of him, well-placed sources told the publication.
A Nine insider told the publication on Sunday that bosses likely used this clause to “slash” his contract after he was axed from the Today show in December 2018.
Karl is set to return to the Channel Nine breakfast programme in 2020. While he won’t be joined by his original partner in crime Lisa, it appears there’s no “bad blood.”
