'I didn't think I was ok': Karl Stefanovic opens up about losing Today gig

Karl Stefanovic, 44, has opened up about the emotional and mental toll his publicised axing from Channel Nine’s Today show took on him.

The TV personality revealed to The Sydney Morning Herald that losing his co-hosting job was a big blow.

“For a while there, to be honest, I don’t think I was OK,” he admitted.

He went on to say that the firing “wasn’t a great surprise.”

“It was a relief in many ways that I was taken off the Today show because I just wasn’t at my best, and you can’t be doing that show unless you are at the top of your game,” he added.

The Gold Logie-winner was a Today staple for 14 years before Nine execs pulled the plug in December 2018 due to the star’s bad press.

The father-of-three’s personal life had spun out of control after his split with wife Cassandra Thorburn in 2016 - after 21 years of marriage.

Paparazzi chases across Sydney and tabloid headlines became the norm when Karl announced his engagement to 34-year-old Jasmine Yarbrough, just three months after finalising his divorce.

The pair married in a lavish ceremony in Mexico at the end of last year, and the bad press around the event was the final straw that saw Nine cut him loose.

Karl stayed mum on the details but admitted his mental health had been affected, and said that the time he’s spent off air has allowed him to ‘‘decompress’’ and rest.

‘‘It allowed me to think about life in a much clearer way and to know that when I did come back I would be ok,’’ he said.

Karl’s bouncing back

After six months off the airwaves Karl is back at work, completing the next series of This Time Next Year - he has also reportedly shot a few stories for 60 Minutes.

It appears that the most expensive talent on Channel Nine has been welcomed back into the fold after he was spotted sitting on the network’s top table at the Logie Awards.

There’s still a year left on the star’s contract so watch this space.

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