Overview
- An almost hour‑long episode of The Karl Stefanovic Show featuring British far‑right activist Tommy Robinson was published in late June and was removed from YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Instagram within about 12 hours.
- During the interview Stefanovic praised Robinson’s 'tenacity' and 'courage' and did not robustly challenge his record on immigration and Islam, which intensified criticism of the episode’s tone and substance.
- Nine has repeatedly said the podcast is an independent production but held emergency executive meetings and by Wednesday entered negotiations with Stefanovic over his exit from the network.
- Campaign groups organised advertiser pressure under the hashtag #KancelKarl and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson reposted the deleted episode, turning the dispute into a wider political fight over free speech and platforming.
- Tommy Robinson is a longstanding anti‑Islam activist with a track record of convictions and far‑right organising, and the incident has reopened debates about how mainstream media should engage with extremist figures and the commercial risks of doing so.