40 of the most memorable Karl Stefanovic moments on his 40th birthday
KARL Stefanovic celebrates his 40th birthday this week, and we’ve pulled together 40 of his best on- and off-air moments to mark the occasion.
Confidential
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COLOURFUL Today co-host Karl Stefanovic will celebrate his 40th birthday with a party in Melbourne on Tuesday.
The Gold Logie winner celebrated his last milestone birthday - his 35th - by kranking out Girls Just Wanna Have Fun at a surprise karaoke session with family and friends.
It was just one of many times in his career that he’s grabbed a headline for funny, strange or controversial behaviour.
So to mark his big 4-0, we’ve dug into the archives to find 40 of his best moments.
1. Goes on air drunk the morning after the Logies in 2009.
2. Wins Gold Logie in 2011.
3. Runner-up (and in lycra) to Mr Jennifer Hawkins, Jake Wall, in celebrity ice skating reality show Torvill and Dean’s Skating on Ice.
4. Gets a tattoo of an infinity symbol on his wrist live on air during a telethon for the Sydney Children’s Hospital.
5. Claims Richard Wilkins has a “massive c**k” while making a speech at Wilkins’ book launch.
6. Accuses Clive Palmer of “losing the plot” when he claims Rupert Murdoch’s ex-wife, Wendi Deng, is a Chinese spy during his election campaign.
7. Gets sea sick while a crew member on Sydney to Hobart yacht race
8. Storms off the set of Today when brother Peter outs him as a non-Queenslander. Turns out he was born in NSW and only moved up north when he was 18 months old.
9. Announces his wife, Cassie, has the “best arse I’ve ever seen” during his Logies acceptance speech
10. His eye-watering reaction to eating “the world’s hottest pie” goes viral, with even US TV host Jimmy Fallon playing a clip on his hit show.
11. Goes head to head with Germaine Greer over her comment about the late Steve Irwin, describing her as “bitter” and her views “warped”.
12. Makes a bad joke about pizzas to a very confused Dalai Lama.
13.Co-host Lisa Wilkinson storms off the set in 2013 after a disagreement with Stefanovic.
14. Criticises his own network for airing footage of a Voice Kids contestant crying when she was rejected by the judges.
15. Blasts Nigel Cawthorne, author of a book about the missing MH370 flight, describing his work as “insensitive” and “too soon”.
16. Today newsreader Deb Thomas accidentally slaps a stunned Stefanovic in the face.
17. Coins the phrase “get Logied” to describe partying too hard.
18. Allegedly gets drunk on a plane while flying to London to cover the royal wedding.
19. Nearly gets crushed by Damien Monkhorst during the EJ Whitten’s Legends Game.
20. Loans new pal Buddy Franklin his jeep after the footy star crashes his own car into three parked cars.
21. While working as a reporter for Channel 9, hosts a sausage sizzle at Guantánamo Bay in 2004 to schmooze US army personnel for stories.
22. Once auditioned for NIDA with a Shakespearean speech.
23. Is on the star-studded guest list (that included Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes) at boss James Packer’s wedding to Erica Baxter on the French Riviera in 2007.
24. Raps (badly) Fancy by Iggy Azalea on 2Day FM radio show
25. Reportedly borrows money from radio shock jock Alan Jones for bridging finance for a home loan.
26. Says he respects Pauline Hanson for articulating the views of a section of Aussie society who felt they weren’t being represented.
27. Makes thinly veiled marijuana references during an interview with the creators of the world’s longest water slide asking, “Are there Scooby Snacks at the end of the slide?”, “How much grass was burned in the making of this slide?”, “Just follow the smoke trail”, and “You look like you’ve been smoking it up, that’s for sure”.
28. Is reduced to boyish giggles at the obvious double-entendres to talking about “long stabby things” in the bedroom to ward off burglars.
29. Wears shorts and thongs with his suit jacket and shirt during a 2013 broadcast from the Gold Coast.
30. Was a team captain in Hole in the Wall where he again donned lycra, but this time had to run at a giant foam wall.
31. Replaces Ray Martin as host of Carols by Candlelight in 2008.
32. Tries Michael Hutchence’s infamous pick-up line on Kylie Minogue while interviewing her for 60 Minutes.
33. Cracks up on air over NT News’ “Why I’ve got a Packer up my Clacker” headline (the story was about two of his bosses, James Packer and David Gyngell, in a punch-up).
34. Radio shock-jock and Stefanovic pal Ray Hadley walks off Today when Stefanovic quizzes him on his love life. Hadley was in the midst of a bitter bust-up with his missus.
35. Stefanovic jokes that Today newsreader Sylvia Jeffries (who replaced Georgie Gardener earlier this year) has been a hit at family roasts. Jeffries is dating Karl’s little brother, Peter.
36. Releases a cookbook, Karl Cooks, which features recipes for “Hangover Cures”, “Backyard BBQ” “When the Wife’s Away” and “Date Night With The Missus”.
37. Onstage banter between Stefanovic and Amanda Keller about seeing the young cast of Home and Away snorting NoDoz — a caffeine stimulant — in the toilets, at this year’s Logies ruffles feathers.
38. Stefanovic sings the praises of the Footy Show, saying he learns a lot about how to balance news and entertainment from watching Gary Lyon, Sam Newman and James Brayshaw in action.
39. Sends the rumour mill into overdrive when he lets slip that the hunt was already on for his replacement at Today.
40. Interviews internet sensation grumpy cat — yep, an actual cat.
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