NEED TO KNOW
- It has been rumoured that Karl Stefanovic is about to resign from Channel Nine.
- Nine is reportedly working on a succession plan behind the scenes.
- Matt Shirvington and Michael “Wippa” Wipfli are being eyed as a dream replacement.
- Several other names — including David Campbell and Clint Stanaway — are also in the mix.
Chatter has reached fever pitch that Karl Stefanovic is about to resign from Channel Nine.
Speculation has been circulating for months that he was due to step down from The Today Show when his contract ends at the end of the year, but he is due to resign much sooner.
After 25 years with Nine, Karl is reportedly due to step down following huge backlash over his controversial, now-deleted podcast interview with far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Karl’s departure from Nine has been made in part to “defuse a major advertiser boycott”.
Karl currently remains in London on two weeks’ leave, and while he hasn’t addressed the reports, Nine is expected to make a statement in due course.
Speculation continues to swirl within industry circles about who might replace Karl on Today, with uncertainty particularly rife as his co-host, Sarah Abo, is also due to head on maternity leave in a matter of weeks.
Scroll on for all the frontrunners.
Who will replace Karl Stefanovic on the Today Show?
Well-placed sources tell New Idea that conversations about who could eventually replace the veteran host had already begun months before Karl’s exit was announced, with executives quietly preparing for a future without one of the network’s biggest stars.
“Everyone knew Karl’s contract was due to expire,” an insider reveals.
“It wasn’t a secret around The Today Show that there was a real possibility he wouldn’t be there much longer.”
Karl had already moved on to new opportunities with the launch of his self-titled podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show, and his ARN Gold radio show with Eddie Maguire.
But who will replace him at Nine? New Idea hears that Michael “Wippa” Wipfli has become a favourite to take over from Karl on Today.
Wippa recently stepped in alongside Samantha Armytage to host the show over the Christmas break, so he would no doubt be a shoo-in for the TV gig.
“Wippa’s name keeps coming up,” our source says. “He’s got warmth, he’s quick on his feet, and people think he’d bring personality back to breakfast television.”
However, making the move wouldn’t be straightforward, with Fitzy, Wippa and Kate already having major success over on the Nova network.
“The chemistry on the radio show has never been stronger,” another insider says.
“There was probably a time when he may have considered leaving, but everyone is in a really good place now, and that’s made the decision much harder.”
Nine’s Michael Atkinson is also being discussed as a replacement, with insiders saying they are looking for someone with “genuine star power” to take Karl’s spot.
Before the latest news of his exit broke, it was claimed that Sunrise co-host Matt Shirvington was being eyed by Nine executives as a dream replacement.
“Nine could poach Shirvo and at the same time bolster their Olympics coverage,” the Telegraph report stated, pointing to his strong sporting background and on-screen experience as key selling points for the network.
New Idea’s TV insider previously confirmed that Nine is “working on Karl’s succession plan”, with discussions understood to be ongoing behind the scenes about a range of possible long-term replacements.
However, luring Matt, 47, from Sunrise “would take a miracle” because he is “very happy” at Channel Seven and has “no plans to go anywhere”, our source adds, suggesting any potential move would be far from straightforward.
According to the Telegraph, others in the mix to replace Karl, 51, if and when he leaves, include David Campbell, James Bracey and Clint Stanaway, all of whom already have strong profiles within the Nine stable.
Another Seven name, Weekend Sunrise’s David Woiwod, is also being thrown into the conversation as networks weigh up both familiar faces and fresh energy for the flagship role.
And as New Idea previously reported, the 21-year-old viral sensation Chaad Hewitt is even being considered as an outside-the-box option, reflecting the growing appetite for younger, social-media-savvy talent on traditional TV.
Meanwhile, Nine still appears to be searching for someone to replace Karl’s co-host, Sarah, when she goes on maternity leave.
Sarah seemingly confirmed as much on-air, when she told former Today co-host Lisa Wilkinson during an interview that there would be a free spot on the couch from August if she wanted it.
Lisa jokingly replied, “Well, I don’t have anything else to do.”
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