Michael Clarke’s Noosa melee with Karl Stefanovic: ABC presenter called out for refusing to report

ABC presenter Rafael Epstein has been called out for refusing to discuss Australia’s most talked-about story, Michael Clarke’s ‘Noosa rumble’ with Karl Stefanovic, on his Melbourne radio show.

Epstein, who hosts ABC’s afternoon drive program, told listeners he’d ‘deliberately’ chosen not to play audio of the bust-up out of principal, and felt bad ‘even talking about it’ on air, reports The Australian.

He proceeded to slam other publications for covering the story, saying: ‘It’s very embarrassing, it’s a blow-up and it’s just a cruel thing to do.’

‘Let’s call it what it is: venal money-making. It isn’t shared equally; media owners are never subjected to this, editors are never subjected to this,’ he added.  

TV veteran Steve Carey has since mocked Epstein for getting on his high horse. 

Carey, who worked at Seven, Nine and the ABC during his 35-year career, suggested Epstein had a ‘very short memory’, reminding him of how the media extensively covered James Packer’s infamous Bondi brawl with former Nine boss David Gyngell not too long ago.

Epstein, who hosts ABC’s afternoon drive program, told listeners he’d ‘deliberately’ chosen not to play audio of the bust-up out of principal, and felt bad ‘even talking about it’ on air. (Pictured: Michael Clarke and Jade Yarbrough in Sydney on November 3, 2022)

‘Let’s call it what it is: venal money-making. It isn’t shared equally; media owners are never subjected to this, editors are never subjected to this,’ Epstein said. (Pictured: Michael Clarke)

‘In May 2014, two of the most powerful men in television were caught brawling in Bondi and that was James Packer and his then-best mate David Gyngell, so let’s not beat around that one,’ Carey told Media Diary. 

The ABC itself published a flurry of online articles covering the bust-up at the time, while the subject was discussed at length on ABC TV programs including The Drum and current affairs show News Exchange.

It comes after Michael Rowland, the co-anchor of ABC News Breakfast, doubled down last week on his network’s decision to not cover Clarke’s Noosa melee. 

TV veteran Steve Carey (pictured) has since mocked Epstein for getting on his high horse, reminding him of how the media extensively covered James Packer’s infamous Bondi brawl with former Nine boss David Gyngell not too long ago 

‘In May 2014 two of the most powerful men in television were caught brawling in Bondi and that was James Packer and his then-best mate David Gyngell, so let’s not beat around that one,’ Carey told Media Diary. (Pictured: Gyngell and Packer in an undated photo)

Rowland took to Instagram on Thursday to dismiss the drama as ‘not news’, despite the fact the fracas led news bulletins on Channel Seven, dominated all the major news websites, and even made headlines internationally.

He stated his view on the newsworthiness of Clarkey’s clash with the Today host after Daily Mail Australia published an article pointing out the ABC and Nine had completely avoided the one story everyone in the country was talking about.

‘Lol… Personal drama. Not news,’ he wrote on Instagram, alongside a screenshot of Daily Mail’s trending story.

ABC presenter Michael Rowland (left, with Emma Rebellato) last week doubled down on his network’s decision to not cover Michael Clarke’s late-night bust-up with Karl Stefanovic, dismissing the most talked-about story in Australia this week as ‘not news’

Rowland stated his view on the newsworthiness of Clarkey’s clash with the Today host after Daily Mail Australia published an article pointing out the ABC and Nine had completely avoided the one story everyone in the country was talking about

In extraordinary footage that emerged last Wednesday, Today host Karl Stefanovic is seen intervening in a blazing row between Michael Clarke and his girlfriend Jade Yarbrough – Stefanovic’s sister-in-law – in a park outside a restaurant in Noosa, as Yarbrough accuses Clarke of cheating on her with his ex Pip Edwards.

The video was recorded by an onlooker on January 10.

ABC initially chose not to report on the fracas, perhaps because network bosses believed the footage was too lowbrow for their audience.

The fracas involving Stefanovic, Clarke (left) and his girlfriend Jade Yarbrough (right) led news bulletins on Seven, dominated all the major news websites, and even made global headlines

The public broadcaster finally acknowledged Australia’s most talked-about story on Friday, publishing one story about how Queensland police were investigating the Noosa incident. 

Meanwhile, Guardian Australia’s media correspondent Amanda Meade was quick to point out in her column on Friday her masthead didn’t touch the Clarke saga either, except to comment on the avalanche of press coverage.

Stefanovic hosted the Today show on Thursday and Friday, but remained tight-lipped about the video, which also featured his wife Jasmine – Jade’s sister – and celebrity accountant Anthony Bell.

As of last Friday, the saga hadn’t been mentioned on any of Nine’s websites, despite being a huge traffic opportunity, presumably as it involved the network’s golden boy Stefanovic. 

The fracas did make the early news bulletin over on Seven’s Sunrise, however, with Edwina Bartholomew giving a detailed rundown of the incident shortly after 5:30am on Thursday. 

Stefanovic (pictured left, with co-host Sarah Abo) hosted the Today show on Thursday and Friday, but remained tight-lipped about the video, which also featured his wife Jasmine – Jade’s sister – and celebrity accountant Anthony Bell 

The fracas did make the early news bulletin over on Channel Seven’s Sunrise, however, with Edwina Bartholomew (pictured) giving a detailed rundown of the incident shortly after 5:30am on Thursday.