'Welcome back buddy': Karl Stefanovic praised for Today show comeback

After a year away from the Today show, Karl Stefanovic has returned with a bang.

The 45-year-old, who recently confirmed that he is expecting a child with his wife of one year, Jasmine Yarbrough, made his show debut two days earlier than expected with co-host Allison Langdon, to cover the bushfire crisis.

And fans of the former ‘king of morning TV’ have praised Karl, taking to Twitter to welcome the controversial host back.

“I've missed @karlstefanovic so much. He is the perfect person for this situation. He just has such a gentle way with people,” one person tweeted.

“Great to see Karl Stefanovic back on the Today Show,” another person said, while another tweeted: “How good is it to turn @TheTodayShow on this morning and see @karlstefanovic !!! Welcome back buddy.”

Others commented saying that Karl is “bringing the fun back to morning tv!”, while one person thanked Karl for making the show “watchable again”.

Karl hit headlines this morning for calling the Prime Minister Scott Morrison “arrogant” after NSW Rural Fire Services commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons claimed he wasn’t told of Mr Morrison's plan to deploy 3,000 army reserve members to bushfire affected areas before he made the announcement on Saturday.

“I can't fathom how you're not made aware of that decision,” Karl said in an on-air interview with Mr Fitzsimmons.

“The Prime Minister of this country doesn't let the man who is running this bushfire emergency know that he is putting 3,000 people on the ground?

“didn't tell you, didn't call you? Was arrogant enough to go to air without it?”

Karl sacked from Today show

In December last year, while he was on honeymoon in Aspen after marrying Jasmine Yarbrough, Karl was sacked from his job as co-host of the popular breakfast show, after 15 years at the desk.

But less than a year later, in November, it was announced that the former king of morning TV would be reclaiming his role in January 2020.

In a statement shared with Yahoo Lifestyle at the time, the 45-year-old admitted he never expected to return to what he described as ‘the best live job in Australia’ - despite the ‘enormous pressures’ and ‘pitfalls’.

“Going back to the Today Show is not something that I thought would come up again. I thought my time was up but then when I was sounded out about it, it got me thinking. It's a big job with enormous pressures and I know only too well some of those pitfalls, but it is also without question the best live job in Australia,” he said.

Karl and Allison were joined by Perth reporter Tracy Vo in the newsreader role, with Alex Cullen, formerly from Sunday Night, doing sport.

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