Updated June 24, 2026 — 2:53pm,first published June 24, 2026 — 8:45amTelevision 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 episode drew an angry backlash from the activist group Mad F--king Witches, which said it would begin targeting Stefanovic in the same way its members successfully pursued companies running ads on shock jock Kyle Sandilands’ show.But One Nation leader Pauline Hanson backed Stefanovic and posted the entire deleted podcast on her YouTube channel, while accusing Stefanovic’s primary employer, Nine, of trying to sack the presenter over the interview.“It looks like they’re trying to sack my good friend Karl Stefanovic for this video with Tommy Robinson!” she wrote on Instagram.Stefanovic, the host of Nine’s Today show, has increasingly cast himself as a culture warrior. He 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. The pair discussed immigration, Islam and Australian politics.In a statement, a spokesman for Nine, which owns this masthead, emphasised that Stefanovic’s show was produced independently of the network.“Nine has no involvement, including in the guest selection and other editorial processes,” the spokesman said, but he added: “However, Nine is taking this matter seriously.”On Wednesday morning, the Robinson episode was unavailable on YouTube, while Stefanovic’s interview with another UK right-wing figure, former Special Forces soldier Ant Middleton, remains live.Sources familiar with the matter said the podcast episode was not removed by the tech platforms from which it disappeared, including YouTube and Apple Podcasts. Posts with short clips of the Robinson interview remain on Stefanovic’s X account.Stefanovic, who is in on leave from Today in the United Kingdom, was contacted for comment. Keshnee Kemp, who describes herself as a founding partner of the podcast and serves as its producer, was also contacted for comment.Meanwhile, media company ARN, which has contracted Stefanovic for a weekly show on its Gold radio network with Eddie McGuire, distanced itself from the podcast.“Karl’s association with ARN is limited to specific radio engagements. His external media activities, including his podcast, are undertaken in a personal capacity and are entirely separate from the network, which we have no control over,” a company spokesperson said.“They do not represent ARN’s views, editorial standards or programming.”The activist group Mad F--king Witches, which ran a pressure campaign against companies that ran ads on Kyle Sandilands’ radio show, announced on Wednesday that it would run a similar campaign against Nine, despite the removal of Stefanovic’s podcast.“In fact, it makes us even angrier they seem to think we’re so easily fooled and silenced,” the group posted.“The truth is we’re now even MORE determined to run such a campaign on Stefanovic (tentatively titled #KancelKarl), and we badly need your help if you want us to do so.”Robinson is a former member of the fascist British National Party and co-founded the English Defence League, an anti-Islam movement that organised street demonstrations around Britain.The agitator has twice been forced to cancel speaking tours of Australia after being denied a visa. In 2019, supporters had paid up to $995 to see him alongside Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes and Milo Yiannopoulos – a former editor of Breitbart News – in five cities.Robinson has convictions for assault, mortgage fraud, using a false passport and contempt of court. He was jailed in October 2024 after he ignored a court order not to repeat lies about a Syrian refugee who had successfully sued him for libel.He has been condemned by several UK prime ministers, including Conservative Boris Johnson, who labelled him a “far-right thug” who did “not represent the values of this country”.On Wednesday, Stefanovic posted a video on X with One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce on the streets of London, announcing the former deputy prime minister would appear on the next episode of his show. The podcast will also feature Holly Valance, the former Neighbours star who has become a conservative influencer in the UK. Valance recently appeared at one of Robinson’s rallies and voiced her support for Hanson.The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.From our partners