Karl Stefanovic has already invited Pauline Hanson to his new podcast twice. Photo: Karl Stefanovic Show.
Barnaby Joyce told him migrants who want Australia to be like the “shithole they came from” should go back there. Clive Palmer complained that NDIS recipients were allowed to spend taxpayer dollars on prostitutes. Kyle Sandilands said that we’d all be singing the Chinese national anthem if Kamala Harris had become US President.
You probably won’t hear any of this on commercial TV anytime soon, but it’s standard fare on The Karl Stefanovic Show.
The Today Show host launched his own podcast in January and he’s tapped into a model for success that’s already proven wildly effective overseas: invite populist, right-wing guests, let them air views deemed too dangerous for mainstream TV, and watch viewership numbers – and revenue – skyrocket.
In his first 10 weeks, he’s hosted politicians Pauline Hanson (twice), Barnaby Joyce, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Clive Palmer, Gerard Rennick, Alex Antic, Matt Canavan and Bob Katter – as well as social media sensations Big Chocky, Sam Bamford and Drew Pavlou. Notice the pattern?
Last month, Pavlou asked him if he was trying to be Australia’s Joe Rogan.
“Joe Bogan,” was Stefanovic’s reply.
Rogan, a former UFC commentator turned podcasting juggernaut, has become a billionaire hosting what is arguably the world’s most influential podcast. His success lies in long-form, unfiltered conversations with an eclectic mix of guests, but it has also attracted sustained controversy. He has platformed conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones and revisionist historian Darryl Cooper, who once described Winston Churchill as the chief villain of World War II.
Rogan’s influence has extended beyond entertainment into politics. He was widely credited with shaping the 2024 US election campaign after hosting and endorsing Donald Trump on the eve of the vote – an episode that racked up more than 40 million views on YouTube and reached a young male demographic that is traditionally difficult to engage politically.
Stefanovic may be hoping to replicate that success in Australia. Some of his podcast clips are already attracting millions of views, suggesting there is a large local appetite for this style of content and fuelling industry rumours that he could make a permanent move to radio.
At the start of each show, he tells listeners he has a “curious beast” trapped inside his head, and he’s about to unleash it – a framing that’s not exactly matched by his line of questioning that makes Rove McManus seem like ABC interrogator Sarah Ferguson.
Like Rogan, Stefanovic largely dispenses with the conventions of journalism. There appears to be little pushback and few attempts to challenge or interrogate controversial claims in real time. Guests are often given space to air grievances about immigration, government spending, cultural change and political correctness – topics that resonate strongly with certain audiences and are often censored on broadcast television.
The appeal is obvious. Economics writer Adam Creighton once observed that mainstream media can feel like “university-educated people talking to other university-educated people” – leaving a large portion of our population feeling excluded from the national conversation.
Stefanovic is tapping into that audience. His podcast engages people who feel ignored or talked down to, and it explores issues that legacy outlets are often reluctant to touch. It is informal, entertaining and unfiltered.
But that openness comes with trade-offs. By giving airtime to highly contentious views without scrutiny, the show risks amplifying contested claims and normalising fringe ideas.
Stefanovic’s foray into podcasting may prove commercially successful. But it also nudges Australian media further down a path of Americanisation – one where tabloid personality-driven platforms shape public discourse and influence election outcomes.
Whether that’s a healthy evolution or a dangerous one will depend on how far audiences and hosts are willing to let that “curious beast” run.
Original Article published by Oliver Jacques on Region Canberra.
