There’s been a lot of speculation that the 51-year-old is preparing to leave the network after more than two decades.
Speculation has continued to swirl around whether Karl Stefanovic is about to leave his multi-million dollar contract with the Today show, and the reason behind the exodus could be quite relatable.
The Channel 9 veteran has hosted the breakfast show since 2005, with just a small hiatus in the late 2010s.
The morning program may kick off at 5:30am, but the stars are awake much earlier to catch up on the overnight news, plus get their hair and make-up done.
The demands of the morning program may be getting too much, particularly while there are other options for Karl to pursue that offer much better work-life balance.
“At a certain age, people just go, ‘Why am I getting up at 3:30am in the morning?’” media commentator Andrew Mercado told Yahoo Lifestyle.
“And it could be that Karl is at that point now where he wants to have a regular nine-to-five job.
“As you get older, I think it really knocks your body around to be doing those sorts of hours.”
Despite being on a rumoured $2 to $2.8 million contract with Channel 9, Karl recently launched his own podcast.
His high-profile interviews have already racked up hundreds of thousands of views and listens on YouTube and Spotify.
Given there would be no restrictions on air-time, like on Today, Karl could do his interviews at any time of the day or night — finally setting his own schedule and potentially getting a sleep in.
But there have been rumours that if he left Channel 9, he wouldn’t be entirely relying on the money from The Karl Stefanovic Show.
Earlier this week, The Australian claimed that Karl had signed a “memorandum of understanding” with radio network ARN.
That’s the same network that recently terminated the contracts of Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, who had hosted their breakfast radio show on KIIS FM for more than a decade.
There’s been no official confirmation yet for who will fill that duo’s slot.
But work could be underway to fix that big question.
Karl Stefanovic desperate for better work hours
A media insider told Woman’s Day that Karl was at a recent Melbourne event where no media was allowed.
The Channel 9 veteran was allegedly “very vocal about leaving Nine” and was keen on having a change of pace.
“I cannot do these hours anymore,” Karl reportedly told guests at the event, according to the insider.
“There are so many opportunities in radio due to the obvious recent news.
“A very successful afternoon radio team will be moved to the breakfast time slot. And then, I can slip into an afternoon slot – and sleep in.”
Yahoo Lifestyle has reached out to Channel 9 and SF Management, who represents Karl, for comment.
Both have stayed tight-lipped about the rumours the 51-year-old is getting ready to jump ship.
Nine told Yahoo Lifestyle earlier this year that it was committed to the year ahead with Karl on Today.
“We’re incredibly proud of our Today team and the work they’ve been doing in an already busy 2026 and delighted that, as announced at the Nine Upfronts back in October, Sarah [Abo] and Karl continue to lead the incredible Today team in what will be a big year full of headlines and events that affect the lives of our viewers,” a spokesperson said back in February.
Karl first joined the Today show back in 2005 and stayed in the hot seat until 2018.
In 2019, Channel 9 tried an all-female lineup of Deborah Knight and Georgie Gardner, but Karl was back hosting the show the following year and has been there ever since.