Uber driver axed over Stefanovic leak
THE opportunistic Uber driver who may have secretly taped a private conversation between TV hot shots Peter and Karl Stefanovic has been “blocked” by the ride-booking company pending an urgent investigation.
Confidential
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THE opportunistic Uber driver who may have secretly taped a private conversation between TV hot shots Peter and Karl Stefanovic has been “blocked” by the ride-booking company pending an urgent investigation.
Sources say Sydney Uber chiefs are poised to terminate the 54-year’old’s contract this week after Peter complained to the company and reluctantly gave the driver one star for his service.
The driver, a part time security guard, is said to be “fuming” that his driving job is under threat and is persistently denying he sold the taped rant for $50,000 to New Idea magazine.
The recording allegedly hears Karl’s voice tear shreds off his Today new co-host Georgie Gardner, calling her “wishy washy”, Nine executives and entertainment reporter Richard Wilkins.
The driver, who has driven for Uber for several years, has been axed from the Uber app and summoned for a second meeting with Uber chiefs this week.
“He has breached privacy guidelines and we don’t want other drivers to think this is acceptable behaviour so he is no longer on the app — as soon as we received the complaint from Peter we blocked him,” an Uber spokeswoman said.
“He is not new to the platform (Uber) so he should have known better — he’s been waitlisted until we get to the bottom of exactly what happened.”
An Uber source added: “It’s likely his contract will be terminated by the end of the week.
“We don’t want to send out the message that passengers will be taped in the back of cars.”
Laws prohibit a recording obtained without consent, or a transcript of the recording, being made public.
The magazine claims the driver told them his “recollections” of the 45-minute conversation insisting he made notes afterwards.
He was allegedly paid $50,000 for the recording prompting the red-faced brothers to issue grovelling apologies.
“We talk a hundred times a day and hardly ever about work,” Karl later said.
“But we did, and the conversation was recorded. And we are sorry. I was angry with myself at first that I could be so stupid.”
Peter, who hosts Today Weekend and is married to Today news reader Sylvia Jeffreys, has also apologised for the conversation.
“I did a silly thing and feel awful for any embarrassment I’ve brought to my (Channel 9) colleagues, who I deeply respect,” he said.
