Karl Stefanovic spotted in watermelon shorts and Gucci trainers amid Lisa Wilkinson book bombshell

His former Today show co-host Lisa Wilkinson is set to release her bombshell memoir – which will make a number of explosive claims about him – on November 3.

But Karl Stefanovic looked completely unfazed by the impending release on Monday as he donned some questionable attire while spending time at his home in Sydney.

The 47-year-old appeared calm and collected as he took the bins out while sporting a pair of kooky watermelon shorts teamed with suede Gucci sneakers.

Kooky: Today host Karl Stefanovic appeared unfazed by the impending release of Lisa Wilkinson’s book as he stepped out on Monday in watermelon shorts and Gucci sneakers

He teamed the quirky outfit with a pair of long white socks, which sat around his ankles, and a black Adidas shirt.

Karl shielded his eyes from the sun with a pair of oversized shades, and had a slight smile on his face as he noticed photographers.

The sighting comes just days before Wilkinson’s new book, It Wasn’t Meant to Be Like This, is set to be released.

Whatever’s comfortable: He teamed the quirky outfit with a pair of long white socks, which sat around his ankles, and a black Adidas shirt 

In it, she makes a series of explosive claims about Karl – alleging he ‘gave her the cold shoulder’ when she was sacked from the Channel Nine breakfast show in 2017, and that there was an ‘off the charts’ pay disparity between them.

Yet despite the negative claims, a report in New Idea on Monday says that Stefanovic has ‘never had so much fan mail’ in light of the scandal, and allege he’s even lobbying for a new role at Channel Nine because of it. 

‘The thing about Karl is that he thrives during these situations,’ the source claims. ‘It seems Lisa’s long-anticipated book release may have backfired – Karl has never had so much fan mail.

Bombshell claims: Lisa Wilkinson, 61, makes several explosive claims about Karl in It Wasn’t Meant To Be Like This, including that he ‘gave her the cold shoulder’ when she left the show and that there was a salary disparity between them

New challenge: The insider added that Karl has apparently gone to Nine bosses to ‘plump up’ his deal with the network, wanting to replace Ben Fordham (right) as host on Australian Ninja Warrior. Ben (pictured with co-host Rebecca Maddern) announced he was leaving the show earlier this month to focus on his radio gig 

‘If Lisa keeps chipping away, there could be a perception that she’s now gone too far, having a go at the man she shared mornings with for 11 years.’

The insider added that Karl has apparently gone to Nine bosses to ‘plump up’ his deal with the network, wanting to replace Ben Fordham as host on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Fordham announced he was leaving the show earlier this month to focus on his 2GB radio gig.

Channel Nine declined to comment when approached by Daily Mail Australia. 

It comes just days after Stefanovic offered a classy response when asked about Wilkinson’s claims over the weekend.

‘Brother, I’ve got too many positive and wonderful things going on in my life to talk about that stuff,’ he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

‘I’m very happy. In work and life,’ he added. 

Earlier this month, Karl and his current co-host Allison Langdon were believed to have renewed their contracts with Nine – with new salaries to reflect the show’s surge in popularity.

Cha ching! Earlier this month, Karl and his current co-host Allison Langdon were believed to have renewed their contracts with Nine – with new salaries to reflect the show’s surge in popularity. The breakfast TV stars have reportedly secured deals worth $1.8million each

The breakfast TV stars have reportedly secured deals worth $1.8million each after the program grew its audience to become competitive with Channel Seven’s Sunrise for the first time in years.

Meanwhile, Wilkinson’s explosive new book includes a chapter dedicated to her sacking from Channel Nine and falling out with Stefanovic over a pay dispute.

She alleges Stefanovic proposed in August 2015 they join forces to renegotiate their Nine contracts – not unlike how the cast of American sitcom Friends famously worked together to broker better deals with NBC.

But she claims he ended up ditching this idea and instead played rival networks Nine and Seven off against each other in order to secure a better deal for himself.

‘Weeks later… the media became awash with stories that Stefanovic was restless at Today and looking for greener pastures – and more civilised working hours – at Channel Seven,’ she wrote.

‘I’m very happy’: Karl (left) issued a classy response to Wilkinson’s (right) tell-all memoir over the weekend, telling the Sydney Morning Herald ‘Brother, I’ve got too many positive and wonderful things going on in my life to talk about that stuff’

Stefanovic was soon at the centre of a bidding war between Nine and Seven that resulted in him re-signing a five-year deal with Nine worth at least $2million per year.

Wilkinson’s deal was worth significantly less, about $780,000 a year, and was only for two years.

‘There was no doubt about it: Karl certainly knew the art of the deal,’ she wrote, adding that the resulting pay disparity between them ‘was so off the charts that no-one would have believed it’.

However, this allegedly doesn’t tell the full story, with News.com.au reporting this week Wilkinson had in fact earned more than Stefanovic for years when they first joined forces on Today, and it was only at the end of their partnership that the roles reversed.

Fall-out: Wilkinson’s new book includes a chapter dedicated to her sacking from Channel Nine and falling out with Stefanovic over a pay dispute. She alleges Stefanovic proposed in August 2015 they join forces to renegotiate their Nine contracts – but claims he ditched this idea and instead played Nine and Seven off against each other to secure a better deal for himself

Earlier this month, an article written by respected political journalist Samantha Maiden reported that when Karl first signed up to the breakfast show in 2006, he was on half of Lisa’s pay packet, which was a reported $700,000.

‘When they were first on the show, she was paid a lot more than he was,’ an alleged Nine insider told the publication.

‘Then, he was able to wedge a fee increase because Seven made him a big offer. If Nine wanted to keep him, they had to pay him, which is what happened.

‘If you look at what he’s paid now, it’s probably not too dissimilar to what she was offered. So, you know, you can take things in a point of time, but I don’t think there would have been much difference between the two now.’

This damning article – which challenges Wilkinson’s most significant claim about her exit from the Today show – reportedly sent the book’s publisher into a major spin.

‘There was no doubt about it: Karl certainly knew the art of the deal,’ Lisa wrote in the memoir, adding that the resulting pay disparity between them ‘was so off the charts that no-one would have believed it’

Harper Collins Australia demanded a preview copy of the memoir be returned by the news website following publication of the story, sources told Daily Mail Australia.

‘They blew up and asked for their copy back,’ said an insider at the website.

News.com.au editor Lisa Muxworthy declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia. 

A spokesperson for Harper Collins later told Daily Mail Australia: ‘No one from HarperCollins asked news.com.au to return a preview copy of Lisa’s book. 

‘News.com.au didn’t have a preview copy of the book and there was no request to return a copy.’

It comes after Wilkinson lifted the lid on her final days working at the Today show in an excerpt from her new book, published in The Sunday Telegraph.

She claimed Stefanovic had given her the cold shoulder in the weeks prior to her sacking, which was prompted when she asked for a significant pay rise.

She alleged she and husband Pete FitzSimons had invited Stefanovic and his partner, Jasmine Yarbrough, to attend their 25th anniversary vow renewal ceremony in October 2017.

Two days before the event, however, Stefanovic supposedly contacted FitzSimons to say they wouldn’t be attending because they’d extended their overseas holiday.

Twist: Harper Collins Australia demanded a preview copy of the memoir be returned by the news website following publication of the story, well-placed sources told Daily Mail Australia 

Claims: Wilkinson alleged she and husband Pete FitzSimons had invited Stefanovic and his partner, Jasmine Yarbrough, to attend their 25th anniversary vow renewal ceremony in October 2017. Two days before the event, however, Stefanovic supposedly contacted FitzSimons to say they wouldn’t be attending because they’d extended their overseas holiday

‘In the ten days since [the ceremony] Karl hadn’t contacted me, his co-host of almost eleven years, at all. No phone message, no text, no apology, not even a simple congrats. Just complete silence,’ Wilkinson alleged.

After returning to work, she claimed Stefanovic did not ask her about her holidays, nor did he apologise for being a ‘no-show at the wedding’.

‘For the next two hours, I exchanged not a single word with Karl outside of what was scripted – because for the first time, I just didn’t trust myself to ‘play nice’,’ she said.

However, her recollection of her last show has been disputed, with resurfaced footage showing Stefanovic had in fact said to her: ‘It’s a big welcome back to Lisa. Nice to see you again. How was your honeymoon?’

Theory: Upon learning she had been sacked later that day, Wilkinson wondered: ‘Was this why [Karl] didn’t attend the wedding and hadn’t spoken to me since? Was this why he never said a word about the show’s strange rundown that morning?’ 

Wilkinson went on to claim in her book she was ‘quietly fuming’ because ‘nearly every interview that day was being done by Karl alone’.

‘For two hours, I sat there feeling completely useless. The Today Show was now The Karl Show. What was the point of me even being there?’ she said.

Upon learning she had been sacked later that day, Wilkinson wondered: ‘Was this why [Karl] didn’t attend the wedding and hadn’t spoken to me since? Was this why he never said a word about the show’s strange rundown that morning?’ 

While Stefanovic and Wilkinson’s relationship appears to be strained, his relationship with rival host Natalie Barr from Channel Seven’s Sunrise appears to be anything but.

In a photo obtained by Daily Mail Australia, the Channel Nine host and his 53-year-old Sunrise foe were all smiles at a group function in Sydney last week. 

The gathering, hosted by Navarra CEO Sal Navarra, was to celebrate Sydney’s reopening following a prolonged Covid lockdown.

Ceasefire: Apparently there’s no ill will between Today’s Stefanovic (far left) and Sunrise host Natalie Barr (far right), with the pair spotted enjoying lunch together last week