Gone! The TV and radio departures that shocked us all

Karl Stefanovic’s reported departure from Nine is the latest in a long line of television and radio exits that stunned audiences.

Some were sparked by controversy, others by ratings slumps, public feuds or changing times.

Here are the celebrity departures Australians — and the rest of the world — still can’t forget.

Australia’s biggest TV and radio exits

Karl Stefanovic (Nine, 2026)

After more than two decades as one of Nine’s biggest stars, Karl Stefanovic’s time at the network came to an abrupt end following the fallout over his independent podcast interview with controversial British activist Tommy Robinson.

Nine announced that it and Stefanovic had “agreed that it is no longer possible” for him to continue hosting Today while also producing his independent podcast. Although the broadcaster had already planned to leave the breakfast program later this year, both parties agreed he would depart immediately.

Stefanovic wasted little time looking ahead.

“So I’m free. Truly independent,” he said in a video posted to his YouTube channel, thanking viewers for “riding the ups and downs” over the past 21 years.

Whether the move marks the end of an era or the beginning of a new chapter remains to be seen.

Karl Stefanovic (Today, 2018)

Few breakfast television shake-ups were bigger.

Following the infamous leaked Uber conversation, a difficult public period and falling ratings, Nine removed Stefanovic from the Today show.

Many believed it was the end of one of Australia’s biggest television careers. Instead, he returned triumphantly to the breakfast desk in 2020, completing one of the industry’s most remarkable comebacks.

Jessica Rowe

Jessica Rowe’s departure from Nine remains one of the most emotional chapters in Australian television.

Following a difficult stint on Today, intense public scrutiny and relentless media attention, she left the network after returning from maternity leave. In the years since, Rowe has spoken candidly about the toll the experience took on her mental health, helping shine a light on workplace culture and the pressures faced by women in television.

Many Australians rallied behind her, and she rebuilt her career with remarkable resilience.

Marty Sheargold

One of Australia’s biggest recent radio bombshells.

Triple M and Marty Sheargold “mutually agreed to part ways” after his controversial on-air comments about the Matildas generated widespread criticism from listeners, sporting figures and sponsors.

The story dominated headlines for days and served as a reminder that even radio’s biggest names are never immune from public backlash.

Mick Molloy

When Seven launched The Nation in 2007, expectations couldn’t have been higher.

The ambitious comedy and current affairs show was promoted as one of the network’s biggest new programs, but audiences failed to embrace it.

After disappointing ratings, the show lasted just one season before disappearing, becoming one of Australia’s most memorable television flops.

Don Burke

For decades, Don Burke was one of Australia’s most trusted television personalities through the hugely successful Burke’s Backyard.

Then allegations of misconduct surfaced. His television career effectively ended, representing one of the most dramatic falls from grace in Australian entertainment history.

Andrew O’Keefe

Andrew O’Keefe seemed destined for decades on Australian television.

The popular host fronted Deal or No Deal, Weekend Sunrise and several prime-time programs before legal troubles brought his television career to an abrupt halt.

His downfall remains one of the most shocking career collapses in Australian broadcasting.

Kerri-Anne Kennerley

Not technically a sacking — but certainly one of television’s biggest surprises.

After decades dominating daytime television, Kerri-Anne Kennerley’s long association with Nine eventually came to an end before later changes at Network Ten.

It proved that even television royalty isn’t guaranteed a permanent seat on the couch.

Ray Martin

Ray Martin spent almost four decades helping define Australian television news and current affairs.

His departure from Nine surprised viewers across the country and marked the end of one of Australia’s most respected broadcasting careers.

One of the bigger exits to happen quietly.

The overseas departures everyone remembers

Jeremy Clarkson

Perhaps the most famous television sacking in history.

The Top Gear host was dismissed by the BBC after punching a producer following an argument over catering after a long day of filming.

Millions signed petitions demanding his return but the BBC refused to budge.

Clarkson simply reinvented the format with The Grand Tour, which became another global success.

Charlie Sheen

At the height of Two and a Half Men, Charlie Sheen was television’s highest-paid actor.

Public feuds, bizarre interviews, “Tiger Blood” and “Winning!” eventually saw Warner Bros. end the relationship.

The off-screen drama almost became bigger than the sitcom itself.

Matt Lauer

America woke in 2017 to discover NBC had dismissed one of its most trusted breakfast television hosts following allegations of inappropriate workplace behaviour.

The announcement was made live on air by stunned colleagues, creating one of the defining moments of the #MeToo era.

Piers Morgan

Few television departures happened quite so publicly.

After walking off the Good Morning Britain set during a heated discussion about Meghan Markle, Morgan left the program within hours.

The extraordinary scenes were replayed around the world.

Conan O’Brien

Technically, Conan O’Brien wasn’t sacked.

But after NBC controversially handed The Tonight Show back to Jay Leno, O’Brien found himself out of one of America’s most coveted television jobs.

The late-night television war remains one of broadcasting’s biggest behind-the-scenes dramas.

Megyn Kelly

NBC reportedly paid out one of television’s biggest settlements after cancelling Megyn Kelly’s morning show following controversy over comments she made on air.

It became one of the most expensive departures in modern television history.

When the cameras stop rolling

Television history is full of stars once considered untouchable. Some departures were driven by scandal, others by ratings, changing audience tastes or corporate reshuffles.

A lucky few found redemption and returned bigger than ever.

Karl Stefanovic’s reported departure is simply the latest reminder that in television, no seat is ever guaranteed.