Karl, Ally deny report of “tantrum” over election night hosting

Karl Stefanovic has come to the defence of Today co-host Allison Langdon following a media report she was unhappy at missing out on election night hosting duties for Nine.

The Sunday Telegraph reported Langdon was so aggrieved over Alicia Loxley hosting with Peter Overton, she vented her frustration with Nine’s director of news Darren Wick.

“Nine robustly denied this yesterday, a spokeswoman insisting there had been no ‘tantrum’ — their word, not ours — from Langdon,” it reported.

Speaking to Kyle & Jackie O on KISS FM, Karl Stefanofic said, “I was actually disgusted at the story that (they) would paint my co-host, who, who is the hardest working person at Channel Nine, who’s come in to work with a broken leg almost for the last two years, who’s punched out more great political interviews than anyone else at the network over a longer period, would have her credibility … fashioned into this kind of diva person for missing out on an election. I just think that’s absolutely disgusting.”

He continued, “I just find it appalling that a woman like Ally, who is just fully committed to job, who works so hard and who’s a great mum, gets taken down, for what? Just trying to do her job and trying to punch in and do an election she has every right to host?”

Alison Langdon agreed, “There was no outburst. I’m many things but I’m not a diva -that is true. The newsroom is running the election and that’s totally fine. Alicia and Pete will do a great job. It’s my birthday this weekend anyway. 11 o’clock Saturday night, I plan to be about 10 ‘cardonays’ in!”

Karl Stefanovic added, “The director of News & Current Affairs can go any which way they want and it’s okay. We’re big enough and ugly enough to be told, ‘You know what, we’re going in a different direction.’ Whatever. But there’s no tantrum. I don’t know how it gets reported there was a tantrum.”