Karl Stefanovic‘s abrupt exit from the Today Show shocked longtime viewers, but New Idea understands it was anything but a surprise for Channel Nine.
In fact, Karl, 51, himself has revealed he told Nine several months before his axing that he was planning to quit when his contract ended this year.
But when his exit came earlier than planned, it put Karl and Nine in an unusual situation where he was nominated at the 2026 TV Week Logie Awards, despite having been sacked by the broadcaster.
Karl is up for the Ray Martin Award for Most Popular News or Public Affairs Presenter, as is his co-host Sarah Abo, and he has nabbed an invite to the ceremony.
However, sources tell New Idea that Nine had already abandoned any plans to mount a serious Gold Logie campaign for Karl, having already accepted that the veteran host was nearing the end of his time at the network.
“I had a discussion about Karl back in March, and it was already common knowledge internally that he was done on Today,” one well-placed source tells us.
“The understanding was that he’d finish out his contract, which was set to end in August, and then move on.”
According to insiders, Karl’s growing ambitions beyond traditional TV and the launch of his podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show, proved to be an early hurdle for Nine, even before his sacking.
“As soon as Nine got wind of Karl’s podcast plans, everything changed,” another insider claims.
“There were concerns about the type of guests he wanted to platform and whether that aligned with the network’s values. Once those conversations started, the relationship shifted.”
By the time Logie nominations came around, insiders claim that Nine considered Ray Martin a more appropriate nomination than the Gold Logie, considering his upcoming exit, which then turned into an early sacking.
Of course, it isn’t unheard of for TV stars to be nominated despite not being on air; in fact, Robert Irwin and Julia Morris have both earned Gold nominations for Channel 10 despite I’m A Celebrity having been axed, but it wasn’t meant to be for Karl this year.
“Everyone internally knew Karl wasn’t going to be pushed for the Gold Logie this year,” the insider says.
“The Ray Martin nomination recognised everything he’d achieved on Today, but there simply wasn’t the appetite to build a bigger campaign around him.”
Instead, the focus of the Gold Logie shifted towards Nine talents Todd Woodbridge and Ally Langdon, which is no surprise, given that any network would want one of its long-term names to win to promote their ongoing shows.
“Todd represents exactly what Nine wants in its talent,” our insider says.
“He’s trusted, likeable, hardworking and appeals to the audience Nine wants to keep.”
But Todd’s rise to the podium wasn’t simply a response to Karl’s departure, with the network seeing “genuine long-term potential” in the beloved personality long before Karl’s exit.
Even so, insiders insist there is little pressure for Todd to actually win the Gold Logie.
“There’s no expectation that Todd has to win,” the source says.
“The nomination itself is the real victory. It tells Nine that both viewers and the industry have embraced him, and that’s incredibly valuable.”
Though Karl has been sacked from Nine, he could still win the Ray Martin award, given it’s a publicly voted category, with the shortlist decided by industry judges.
“He absolutely deserved recognition. He’s still one of the best breakfast television presenters Australia has ever produced,” our source adds.
“The feeling was that he’d earned the nomination based on the work he’d already done on Today.”
Now, only one question remains: Will Karl actually attend the 2026 Logies?
As a previous Gold Logie winner, having scooped the gong back in 2011, he automatically secures an invite to the Logies every year, even if he isn’t nominated.
However, given that it would mean sitting alongside the Nine executives who terminated his contract, our insiders don’t expect to see him there this time around.
“Whether he attends is entirely his decision,” they explain.
“Could you imagine Karl sitting at the Nine table with the executives who let him go?
“He’s far more likely to be overseas chasing the next big podcast interview.”
