Two days after pictures of Karl Stefanovic kissing Jasmine Yarbrough on a super yacht were splashed across the front page of a Sunday tabloid, Nine's golden son was away from his regular seat on the Today show.
There are hints that Nine is in damage control by pulling him from the spotlight to manage what's happening in his personal life and how it might impact viewers' attitudes towards him and the network. Other signs indicate the timing of his absence is nothing more than a coincidence.
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Karl Stefanovic goes public with new girlfriend
Months after announcing his split from his wife of 21 years, Today host Karl Stefanovic is photographed sailing in Sydney with new girlfriend Jasmine Yarbrough.
The network's estimated $1.5 million man showed up to co-host alongside Lisa Wilkinson last Monday morning, but he was gone by Tuesday. A Nine spokesperson said Sylvia Jeffreys filled in for him last week, while Tim Gilbert will take his chair next week until he returns – they would not specify when that would be.
The spokesperson said Stefanovic is filming This Time Next Year and that the schedule "has been set in place for many months". They rejected his no-show as anything untoward, adding TTNY "is a very emotionally draining program" and it means he cannot work on the Today show as well.
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The fan favourite regularly does double jobs for the network. In the past, he has often worked evenings and weekends and was back on-set by morning.
Having their biggest star off air – after his two-month hiatus over December and January – seems like an unusual move, especially at a time when Nine is head-to-head with rival Seven's Sunrise in the ratings.
Whatever the reason behind Stefanovic's absence from the spotlight shortly after his rumoured relationship with Yarbrough was confirmed so publicly and without their consent, the timing has offered some much needed breathing space.
Stefanovic, 42, split from his wife of 21 years, Cassandra Thorburn, last July. Since then he has been pictured out and about enjoying his new-found freedom, socialising with friends, spending time at James Packer's million dollar Bondi apartment and now enjoying the company of model Yarbrough, 33; while Thorburn has mostly been seen going to and from their Upper North Shore family home as she cares for their three children – Jackson, 17, Ava, 11 and River, 10.
Of course, Stefanovic has done nothing wrong. He is separated and he and Yarbrough are two consenting adults.
In a modern age when one in three Australian marriages end in divorce, why would Nine feel the need to shield Stefanovic's new relationship from view, when their rivals, Seven, cleared CEO Tim Worner of all wrongdoing when his extra-marital affair and alleged drug use were laid bare?
But then again, Worner does not have to face their breakfast audience on a daily basis.
A squeaky clean, wholesome image goes hand-in-hand with breakfast TV presenting – just look at Lisa Wilkinson, David Koch and David Campbell.
In the court of public opinion, will Today's mostly female audience, who have come to know and love Stefanovic's staunch family man image, be so forgiving? Media analyst Steve Allen thinks not.
"Nine are trying to mitigate the fact that the way this new relationship has played out could be a very bad look [for Karl] and could, in fact, turn off some of their viewers," Allen, the CEO of Fusion Strategy told Fairfax Media.
"It fractures that whole family man image and puts a stick in the spokes to the strategy that Karl, Today and Nine have had around his whole career. It really does have potential to do damage to the viewership of Today and any other program he is involved in."
For the past 17 years, Stefanovic has worked his way to the top, becoming one of Today's biggest draws. The lovable rogue, with a devil-may-care attitude, is lauded for holding politicians to account and wearing the same navy suit for a year to demonstrate sexism in showbusiness.
He has gotten himself into trouble too – an insensitive transgender slur or appearing drunk live on air the morning after the Logies (Nine pulled him from Today for two days after that, citing he had been "filming a story for 60 Minutes") – but with a flash of his cheeky grin he seems to be able to get himself out of trouble just as quickly as he gets himself into it.
But Allen reckons this time the Golden Logie winner might have crossed the line.
"It's difficult to live in the public eye, but if you choose to live in the public eye, you've got to manage their expectations, it's not all about you and if it suddenly becomes all about you, you can't expect to have the same relationship," Allen says. "That's the dynamics that Nine are dealing with. It's fine to be a lovable rogue as long as you operate between the tram lines, but he's gone out of the tram lines. He's gone too far with this.
Meanwhile, he expects Seven will take full advantage of the situation.
"There is so much competition between Sunrise and Today and Karl's relationship is a distraction. Nine were very sensitive to the fact they have had a pretty free run for two months or so with the Amber [Harrison] situation at Seven, but now they have their continuing and rising problem on their hands with one of their key favourite sons," Allen says.
What should Stefanovic and Nine do now?
"Lie low," says Allen. "Don't get into another position where any more photographs can be taken of this new relationship. You would want this to blow over as quickly as possible."
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