Karl Stefanovic

Karl Stefanovic
Karl Stefanovic in 2009
Born	12 August 1974[1] Darlinghurst, New South Wales
Nationality	Australian
Alma mater	Queensland University of Technology
Occupation	Television presenter Journalist
Notable credit(s)	Today Ten News National Nine News
Spouse(s)	Cassandra Thorburn
Children	3

Karl Stefanovic (born 12 August 1974) is an Australian Gold Logie-winning television presenter. Stefanovic is currently a co-host of the Nine Network's breakfast program, Today.

Career

Early life

After university he began working for WIN Television in Rockhampton and Cairns as a cadet reporter.^[2] In 1996, Stefanovic took up a position with TVNZ as a reporter for One Network News in New Zealand. In 1998, Stefanovic returned to Australia with a job reporting and presenting for Ten News in Brisbane, and also acted as a fill-in news presenter for Ron Wilson in Sydney.

Nine Network

In 2000, Stefanovic moved to the Nine Network as a reporter and back-up presenter for National Nine News in Brisbane. He received a Queensland Media Award for Best News Coverage for his report on the Childers backpacker hostel fire in 2000. His reports on the 2001 Warragamba bushfires from Sussex Inlet in January 2002 led to his appointment to Nine's Sydney newsroom, and he was involved in the coverage of the 2003 Canberra bushfires.

In February 2005, Stefanovic replaced long-running Today host Steve Liebmann and currently co-hosts the program with Lisa Wilkinson. Stefanovic has been a fill-in host on A Current Affair for Tracy Grimshaw.

In 2006, Stefanovic participated in the Nine Network reality television show Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice. He eventually made it to the grand final of the show, but was beaten by Jake Wall by a viewer poll. Since 2008, he has hosted the Nine Network's Carols by Candlelight with Lisa Wilkinson replacing longtime host Ray Martin.

In 2011, along with his hosting role at Today, he is a contributing reporter on 60 Minutes. More recently, Stefanovic began hosting a Sunday evening edition of A Current Affair (ACA Sunday).^[3] In December 2011 Stefanovic was a crew member aboard racing supermaxi yacht Investec LOYAL when it won line honours in the 2011 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.^[4]

Stefanovic also hosted the Nine Network's evening reports on the 2012 London Olympics.

In December 2013, Stefanovic was a crew member aboard racing supermaxi yacht Perpetual Loyal in the 2013 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, with his other celebrity crew members, Larry Emdur, Guillaume Brahimi, Tom Slingsby, Phil Waugh and Jude Bolton.^[5]

In October 2015, Stefanovic hosted television panel show The Verdict on the Nine Network. The weekly show mixed elements of successful programs The Project and Q&A but courted controversy with its line-up of panelists.^[6]

Personal life

Stefanovic was born in Darlinghurst, New South Wales to a Serbian-German father and an Australian mother.^[7] His younger brother, Peter Stefanovic, is a Nine News presenter and reporter and Weekend Today host.^[8]

He was educated at St Augustines College (Cairns), Anglican Church Grammar School and the Queensland University of Technology, where he graduated with a degree in journalism in 1994.^[9]

Karl met journalist Cassandra Thorburn at a party in Rockhampton in 1995 and later married. Together they have 3 children - Jackson, Ava and River.^[10]

In September 2016, it was revealed that Stefanovic had separated from his wife after 21 years.^[11]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2016	Independence Day: Resurgence	Himself - Reporter	Movie (scene cut)
2012	Beaconsfield	Himself	TV Movie
	Great Barrier Reef	Himself - Presenter	3 episodes
2011	The Jesters	Himself	Go for Gold (#2.8)
2010	A Current Affair	Himself - Reporter	Episode dated 22 March 2010
2009	Australia's Funniest Home Videos	Himself	20 Year Special (#20.8)
2008	Hole in the Wall	Himself - Brains Team Captain	Brains vs. Brawn (#1.6)
2007	A Current Affair	Himself - Fill-in Host	Episode dated 27 August 2007
	20 to 1	Himself	50 to 01: Great Movie One Liners (#4.10)
	Temptation	Himself - Contestant	2 episodes
2006	Torvill & Dean's Dancing on Ice	Himself	8 episodes
	Bert's Family Feud	Himself - Team Captain	3 episodes
2005	The Price Is Right	Himself	Episode dated 24 October 2005
2005–present	Today	Host

Awards

At the 2011 Logie Awards, Stefanovic won two awards - the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality, and the Silver Logie for Most Popular Presenter.

Suit incident

On November 15, 2014, Stefanovic revealed in an interview with Fairfax Media that he had been wearing the same suit on-air every day for a year, "except for a couple of times because of circumstance," as what he claimed to be an experiment in sexism. He claims that, while his female colleagues receive regular criticism for whatever they wear, nobody noticed his outfit the whole time. Stefanovic did, however, vary his ties and shirts a lot more regularly than his suit.^[12]

References

1. Karl Stefanovic cranks up the karaoke for Girls Just Wanna have Fun at 35th birthday - Sydney Confidential (The Daily Telegraph), 17 August 2009
2. Karl Stefanovic Bio from Today site
3. "Karl Stefanovic hosts ACA Sunday". TV Tonight. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
4. "Investec LOYAL race winner as appeal dismissed". Sydney Morning Herald. AAP. 29 December 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
5. "Sydney to Hobart 2013". Perpetual. 2013-12-02. Retrieved 2013-12-02.
6. http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/the-verdict-is-in-karl-stefanovic-controversial-new-show-tanks-in-the-ratings-20151016-gkanym.html#ixzz3ohZSSXgf
7. "Stefanovic 'throws tanty' after origin state revealed". Ninemsn. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
8. Wide World of Sports website; retrieved 17 November 2014
9. Mason, James (2011). Churchie: The Centenary Register. Brisbane, Australia: The Anglican Church Grammar School. ISBN 978-0-646-55807-3.
10. "Karl Stefanovic's shock split from wife of 21 years, reports". 2016-09-17. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
11. "Karl Stefanovic's shock split from wife of 21 years, reports". 2016-09-17. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
12. "Karl Stefanovic's sexism experiment: Today presenter wears same suit for a year". Sydney Morning Herald. 15 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.

External links

• Karl Stefanovic profile at TODAY
• Karl Stefanovic Twitter
• Karl Stefanovic at the Internet Movie Database