Television presenter Karl Stefanovic’s controversial podcast interview with British far-right anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson has been removed from YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Instagram less than 12 hours after it debuted. The Nine Network star, who has increasingly cast himself as a culture warrior, had told Robinson he admired his “tenacity” and “courage” in “trying to stand up for what you believe is right” in an interview lasting almost an hour on Stefanovic’s self-titled YouTube program in which the pair discussed immigration, Islam and Australian
politics, including One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. On Wednesday morning, the episode was unavailable on YouTube, while Stefanovic’s interview with another UK right-wing figure, former Special Forces soldier Ant Middleton, remains live. It is not yet known why the Robinson podcast was removed or who decided to take it down but sources familiar with the matter said the podcast was not removed by the tech platforms. Posts with short clips of the Robinson interview remain live on Stefanovic’s X account. Stefanovic and Nine were contacted
for comment. Nine is the publisher of this masthead. The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.
Karl Stefanovic, Tommy Robinson, podcast removed, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Instagram, Ant Middleton, One Nation, Pauline Hanson, Nine
So it got deleted everywhere like overnight?? Wild.
Not surprised, platforms always “clean up” stuff they don’t like. But why would Spotify and Apple do it if it wasn’t them? Sounds like the publisher panicked or something.
I saw a clip on X and it was already going around before it vanished. Maybe they flagged it for hate speech but then said “tech platforms didn’t remove it” so it looks better? Also Karl Stefanovic always does these shock segments, he knew what he was doing.
This is why I hate the internet now. One day it’s up, next day poof, and they act like it’s mysterious. If it was “not the platforms,” then who? Nine? And didn’t Pauline Hanson and One Nation get dragged into this too, so maybe they got scared about backlash with Islam/immigration talk. I don’t even know, just seems like censorship to me.