By the time the prime minister sat down at the Lodge for a live chat on the Karl Stefanovic Show, Nine’s highest-paid journalist had amassed more than 50,000 YouTube subscribers on his new independent platform in four weeks. His most popular videos, each watched almost 300,000 times on YouTube and TikTok, feature guests with strong anti-immigration views.
By Friday, the Karl Stefanovic Show had climbed to the second spot on Apple Podcasts overall, behind Mamamia Out Loud, and was number one in the news category.
On Tuesday’s podcast with the PM it was quickly clear what Stefanovic’s audience wanted – and it was not Anthony Albanese. They flooded the live comment stream with support for One Nation, mass deportations and disdain for the government. “The least interesting guest on the show so far … Is the bloody prime minister of Australia,” wrote one. “Well, that was your worst interview yet. Boring, and you let him off the hook,” said another.
There were also dozens of antisemitic and pro neo-Nazi comments, from third-party commenters, although they were later deleted.
A video of the episode, titled “‘Australians aren’t far right – Karl challenges the PM’” had 95,000 views on YouTube as of Friday.
“My whole career has been about balance but [the media is] becoming beige,” Stefanovic said on an earlier podcast, signalling his abandonment of the middle-ground journalism of the Today show to join a thriving community of anti-woke podcasters.
The 51-year-old journalist, who became a household name on Channel Nine where he reportedly earns $2.8m as the face of Today and anchors major live news events, has stacked his YouTube schedule with a slew of rightwing guests, and they have offered up his biggest audience.
He sought approval late last year from his bosses at Nine to launch the podcast, which appeared to be part of his exit plan from mainstream broadcasting. Sources said management agreed in return for his pay packet being slimmed down in line with Nine’s cost-cutting drive.
Stefanovic kicked off this solo project on Australia Day with the One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, and followed up with Barnaby Joyce and the Liberal shadow minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.
One viewer said: “Gotta admit, I’m not Karl’s biggest fan but I’m really enjoying his podcasts. He is actually listening to Aussies and what is important to us rite [sic] now. Pauline, Barnaby. Great interviews. Keep it up.”
Another wrote: “Great work Karl … You’re a patriot and we love you for it! … Reclaim Australia and vote for One nation.”
Popular anti-immigration podcasters made up another two episodes. The influencer Big Chocky (real name Chris Katelaris) was so popular with Stefanovic’s audience that he had him on a second time. Big Chocky’s catchphrase is MDGA: “Make deportations great again”.
In contrast, the three least popular episodes have been interviews with mainstream figures such as the celebrity chef Curtis Stone (21,000 views), the UFC fighter Alexander “The Volk” Volkanovski (27,000) and the Broncos coach Michael “Madge” Maguire (21,000).
The satirical news site the Betoota Advocate had fun with that idea in the headline: “Stefanovic Running Out Of Australian Podcast Guests Who Can Feed The Algorithm With Racial And Far-Right Grievances”.
‘I love what you guys are doing’
La Trobe University academic and alternative news media researcher Finley Watson says the Stefanovic channel is building on an established YouTube formula that caters to a growing audience for right-wing perspectives, “presented through stylistically non-partisan, yet provocative, conversational interviews”.
Watson says Stefanovic appears to have adopted the defining feature of Joe Rogan’s hugely successful podcast: combining hard-right discussions with a softball interview style.
Stefanovic’s second interview with Big Chocky, along with the former soldier Sam Bamford from the 2 Worlds Collide podcast, is heavy with conspiracy theories: about 9/11, government cover-ups and a so-called secret world elite.
Stefanovic nods and smiles along, failing to intervene when guests make comments that could be considered extreme on free-to-air television. During a discussion of the Epstein files, Bamford wonders “who’s potentially controlling the world” and suggests “people like [prominent conspiracy theorist] Alex Jones have probably been right for a long time”.
At one point, Stefanovic tells Big Chocky and Bamford: “I love this country as you guys know, and I love all voices you know, and I love what you guys are doing.”
During a discussion about “old Australia” Stefanovic says: “We’re a beautiful culture, but that side of our Australia; the horse is probably bolted, right?”
He praises his father for becoming “the ultimate Aussie”, and asks: “How do we reinvigorate the Aussie spirit? How do we bring us back and make sure that we don’t go anywhere again?”
Watson says the rhetoric mirrors that of several very popular YouTubepodcasts from across Australia, Europe and the US. “They present as ideologically centrist and fact-based, while tacitly endorsing the politics of parties such as Reform UK and One Nation,” he says.
The format combines long-form interviews and the conversational style of hosts like Stefanovic with antagonism against social justice or immigration.
Stefanovic has built an audience relatively fast – although he is eclipsed by podcasters such as the former deputy prime minister John Anderson, who has 780,000 subscribers, and the Australian correspondent for Rebel News, Avi Yemini, who has 927,000.
His high-profile and his enthusiastic promotion of the podcast through interviews with news sites and appearances on other podcasts, and posts on his own Instagram account, have certainly helped the audience grow, even if some of his Nine colleagues have told Guardian Australia they believe he has been given too much latitude by the people who pay his wages.
Nine declined to respond to questions from Guardian Australia.
Stefanovic signalled his personal views in an exclusive interview with news.com.au before the launch, accusing “woke” culture of stripping the nation of its confidence and saying those who come to Australia must accept its laws and customs.
“I love this country. I love waving flags,” he told the political editor, Samantha Maiden. “I love going to cricket or footy all day in the sun. I love celebrating this country for what it is – and it’s a fucking great country.”
His producer, that the former Who editor Keshnee Kemp, foreshadowed the podcast would be male-focused and cover masculinity and fringe theories.
“Karl consumes content on those topics himself,” Kemp told the trade publication Mediaweek. “He’s only speaking to people he genuinely finds really interesting. This is authentically Karl at his very best.”
