Karl Stefanovic makes awkward joke about former TV rival David Koch at Logies

Karl Stefanovic decided to ad-lib a joke at Kochie’s expense on stage. To say it failed to land in the room would be an understatement.

Logies 2023 ceremony – Karl Stefanovic. Picture: Channel 7

Karl Stefanovic couldn’t help but take aim at his former breakfast TV rival David “Kochie” Koch, who recently retired after almost 20 years on Sunrise, during Sunday’s Logies.

While presenting a segment during the In Memoriam tributes at the 63rd TV Week Logie Awards, the Today show first tried his hand at ad-libbing at Koch’s expense. But the joke tanked.

Earlier in the ceremony, Koch had named the Stan series Bump as one of his favourite shows while on stage. In street lingo, small amounts of cocaine are called “bumps”, which led to this apparent cocaine joke from Stefanovic.

Karl Stefanovic couldn’t help but throw a dig at David Koch. Picture: Channel 7

“I did want to just check something... I am pretty sure before I heard Kochie say he loves Bump’s … season 3,” Stefanovic asked the audience.

“Did anyone mishear that? Because I am pretty sure I did. Anyway, those are the headlines tomorrow morning.”

Unfortunately, the audience did not find the funny in Stefanovic’s joke, which was met more gasps than giggles.

Kochie looks on as Stefanovic roasts him. Picture: Channel 7

Not Karl making a coke joke 💀 #Logies

— Sose Fuamoli (@Sose_Fuamoli) July 30, 2023

Is Karl cooked again #Logies

— ali rabbits (@AlmG) July 30, 2023

Karl making cocaine jokes that only he gets ... #Logies

— Julian O'Brien (@Julian_OBrien) July 30, 2023

I'm so confused. Was that a joke? #tvweeklogies#logies

— jac (@JackieWarner13) July 30, 2023

The awkward moment was later brought up at the ceremony again when Logies host Sam Pang pointed out how bad it was.

“I don’t want to say Karl Stefanovic’s joke about Kochie sank, I don’t want to say it sank, but Oceangate are offering expeditions to visit it, to those who are interested,” Pang said, referring to the ill-fated Titan submersible.

Stefanovic had been in Pang’s firing line since the opening monologue, when he roasted him about the infamous Noosa incident with Michael Clarke.

In one joke, Pang said Stefanovic turned down the hosting gig because it wasn’t “held in a park in Noosa”. And he also said the Today show table would only be fun if “Michael Clarke was on it”.