Karl Stefanovic has come close to tears while speaking publicly for the first time about his departure from Nine, revealing that hearing his wife's distress over the fallout was the most painful moment of an already turbulent week. The 51-year-old former Today host made the candid admission during a podcast interview released on Wednesday, recorded just hours after he learned of his exit from the network.

The moment Stefanovic found out he was gone

Stefanovic described learning of his Nine exit while on a flight from London to Cannes — a jarring way to receive life-changing career news. He said he felt "discombobulated" upon hearing he would not be returning to the network, with his thoughts immediately turning to his family.

The interview, conducted with English broadcaster Piers Morgan for The Karl Stefanovic Show podcast, had reportedly been arranged before Stefanovic was let go by Nine. Morgan — who has his own experience of a high-profile morning television exit after a dispute over comments he made about Meghan Markle's 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey — was sympathetic, calling Stefanovic's termination "ridiculous" and describing him as an "integral part of Australian popular culture".

"It's your right to have anyone you want on your podcast and to ask questions," Morgan said. "I just don't understand what Channel Nine are thinking. What happened to you is very reminiscent of what happened to me."

Tears for his wife and the family 'heat'

When Morgan asked whether Stefanovic had felt emotional in the wake of the news, the veteran broadcaster paused mid-sentence and appeared visibly distressed.

"Just when I was thinking about my … just my wife," Stefanovic said, composing himself. "She puts up with a lot. Her finding out this stuff and having to deal with me, because I'm a lot … to hear her upset was the hardest thing."

He added that as a consequence of the controversy, his wife had "copped heat" on social media — a dimension of the fallout he found particularly difficult to accept.

Twenty-one years of audience connection — and no goodbye

One of Stefanovic's most pointed grievances centred on not being given the opportunity to farewell his long-standing audience on air. Having hosted the Today show for more than two decades, he said the inability to close out that chapter publicly was deeply upsetting.

"I have had an intimate audience for 21 years … but I don't get to say goodbye to them in a public way. So for me not to have that dialogue, that's upsetting to me. It's painful," he said.

Stefanovic also confirmed that his Nine contract had been due to expire at the end of 2026, and that he had informed the network two or three months ago of his intention to leave the Today show.

Tommy Robinson interview triggered the split — and a second blow from Gold FM

Stefanovic's departure from Nine followed his decision to host British far-right figure Tommy Robinson on his podcast — a move that proved too controversial for the network. Despite the fallout, Stefanovic defended his position on freedom of speech and said that now he was no longer bound to Nine, he could do "whatever I want".

"I love Australia. I work really f****** hard, and to have it end like that is … I'm not going to stop and roll up in a ball on the side of the f****** highway," he said.

The release of Wednesday's interview coincided with radio network Gold FM also cutting ties with Stefanovic. The move came just three weeks after the launch of The Long Weekend, a Friday afternoon chat show Stefanovic had been co-hosting with Eddie McGuire. McGuire hosted the programme solo on Friday and read a statement from Gold owner Australian Radio Network (ARN), which distanced itself from Stefanovic's podcast series.

The dual exits within a single week mark a dramatic turn for one of Australian breakfast television's most recognisable figures.