Karl Stefanovic has no one to blame but himself - The Sydney Morning Herald

The Nine Network was well aware it had a problem with Karl Stefanovic. But even they were gobsmacked by the recent tsunami of media reports attacking its biggest star.

Last week, the Today co-host flew to Mexico to marry designer and model, Jasmine Yarbrough. It’s the kind of the thing publicists dream about: a chance to portray their presenter as a typical family man. Yet most stories focused on the cost of the lavish ceremony and the distress of Stefanovic’s ex-wife, Cassandra Thorburn.

All of which made viewers wonder: is Stefanovic really a “larrikin”? Or is he just arrogant?

On Wednesday, after months of fevered speculation, Stefanovic “stepped off” the program that made him famous. He will remain with Nine, the owner of this masthead, to host a new season of This Time Next Year.

It’s impossible to blame his tarnished reputation on one specific mistake. And that’s the problem. For almost two years, Stefanovic has staggered from one PR crisis to the next. No one can pass judgment on his divorce – but did he really need to be seen cavorting with his new girlfriend on a luxury yacht? Or rolling up in his high-performance vehicle to every red carpet event in town?

Lavish weddings and high performance cars did not endear Stefanovic to viewers,

Sources insist Nine intended to keep Stefanovic in breakfast but finally lost patience this week. All the signs suggest management were at their wit's end. After all, they chose to ruin their presenter's honeymoon – an obvious PR risk – to bring this saga to an end.

For many, the rot set in last year, when co-host Lisa Wilkinson was inexplicably allowed to walk over a pay dispute. If it wasn’t obvious then, it is now: Wilkinson made Stefanovic look good – and she had a devoted fanbase of her own. Without her, the show feels flat.

Stefanovic wasn’t wrong when he reportedly criticised Gardner for being too cautious on air. Of course, nothing makes a person more guarded than being told to loosen up. And the pair's rumoured mutual dislike didn’t help. Ironically, Gardner may become the host Stefanovic wanted now that he’s gone.

Other mistakes were simply baffling. Why, for instance, did Stefanovic give Who magazine the exclusive rights to his wedding photos? It’s part of stable owned by Seven West Media, the biggest rival of his own employer.

Karl Stefanovic's rise was dizzying but his fall was a slow motion crash.Credit:Effi Cohen

It’s unfair to pin all of Today’s woes on him. The show’s format had grown stale, and its blokey behind-the-scenes culture was a problem. Of course, Seven’s Sunrise and ABC’s News Breakfast were only too happy to accept its disillusioned fans.

Michael Lallo is a Senior Entertainment Writer for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald. He has also been a news reporter for The Sunday Age, a deputy editor of Green Guide and a columnist and critic.