Lisa Wilkinson has revealed what really happened when Karl Stefanovic arrived to the Today show still drunk, the morning after the 2009 Logie Awards.
Appearing on Gus Worland’s podcast Not an Overnight Success on Sunday, Lisa, who has since left the Nine network for Channel Ten, recalled Karl slurring his words.
Lisa, 62, admitted that she had no idea whether her former co-host Karl, 47, was ‘still on his way up the mountain’ or ‘coming down the other side now’.
The truth comes out: Lisa Wilkinson (pictured), 62, revealed what REALLY happened the morning after the 2009 Logie Awards when her Today co-host Karl Stefanovic arrived still drunk, on Gus Worland’s podcast Not an Overnight Success on Sunday
In her opening remarks, Lisa revealed that initially she thought she would have to host the show by herself as ‘no one had seen Karl’.
The former magazine editor said that when Karl finally arrived to the set, he put his hand on hers as if to say ‘I’m here’.
‘Without looking at Karl, each of us could tell who was going to speak now. We could just feel each other in our peripheral vision and I could feel that he was breathing in.’
Not fit for work: Lisa admitted that she had no idea whether her former co-host Karl (pictured the morning after the 2009 Logies), 47, was ‘still on his way up the mountain’ or ‘coming down the other side now’
Lisa recalled: ‘And it was only through him sadly continuing to try to talk that I could get a reading on where he was. And I think quite literally at that point, we were just a couple of metres from The Summit, and then for the rest of the three-and-a-half hours, we were coming down the other side’
Lisa recalled Karl slurring the words ‘well good morning to you’ and thought ‘oh my God’.
She said with a laugh: ‘My first thought was, is he still on his way up the mountain or are we coming down the other side now? Or are we sitting on The Summit? I had no clue.
‘And it was only through him sadly continuing to try to talk that I could get a reading on where he was. And I think quite literally at that point, we were just a couple of metres from The Summit, and then for the rest of the three-and-a-half hours, we were coming down the other side.’
Truth comes out: Back in September, Karl revealed on The Hundred with Andy Lee that he was actually drunk – not just hungover – when he arrived to the set
Lisa described Karl as being ‘very funny that morning’ and said he kept calling her ‘beautiful’ many times.
Back in September, Karl revealed on The Hundred with Andy Lee that he was actually drunk – not just hungover – when he arrived to the set.
The Channel Nine personality was handed a stack of cards containing questions to ask the show’s panel of 100 every day Australians.
‘Back in 2009, I showed up to work allegedly a little tipsy after a big night at the Logies. Do you think less of me after this?’ he asked.
Honest: ‘Just to pick you on one point, I was not hungover. I was still drunk,’ he laughed amid claims he was hungover while hosting Today
Fifteen per cent of people said that they had, but comedian Tom Walker quickly came to Karl’s defence.
‘There’s nothing more charming than doing a job badly. It’s good! Turning up hungover to do your job…’ he argued.
Karl was quick to correct the funnyman though, and laughed: ‘Just to pick you on one point, I was not hungover. I was still drunk.’
The now famous Today episode showed Karl slurring his words and laughing as Lisa tried to regain control of the situation.
Big night: The now famous Today episode showed Karl slurring his words and laughing as his former co-host Lisa tried to regain control of the situation
He later apologised for his controversial appearance, and admitted he was not ‘at my best’ after a night of partying at the Logies.
‘I guess the first thing I have to say is that yes, it was a very big Logies night, probably too big,’ he later said on Today, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald in May 2009.
‘I didn’t feel drunk when I woke up the next morning otherwise I would not have gone on air. I like to think that I’m professional enough to have made that decision.
‘But clearly from the vision that I have seen, I wasn’t at my best and what I want to do is apologise to anyone out there who may have, um, you know, been offended by my behaviour on Monday morning. So, humble apologies to you all.’
Hindsight: Karl later apologised for his controversial appearance, and admitted he was not ‘at my best’ after a night of partying at the Logies. ‘I guess the first thing I have to say is that yes, it was a very big Logies night, probably too big,’ he later said on Today in May 2009
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