Peter Stefanovic leaves Nine

Industry insiders are shocked after Peter Stefanovic abruptly quit Nine. One key omission from his statement has left people wondering.

Peter Stefanovic has left Channel 9 to “explore new opportunities” after reports he was set to be dropped from his Weekend Today hosting role.

A Nine spokesman confirmed the younger brother of Karl Stefanovic was leaving the network after 15 years.

“Nine and reporter Peter Stefanovic have mutually decided to part ways after 15 years,” a spokesman told news.com.au.

Peter Stefanovic, Karl Stefanovic, Tom Stefanovic and Elise Pointon in Mexico earlier this month

“Peter has decided to explore new opportunities and is looking forward to spending weekends with his wife.

“He has been a respected member of the Nine News team and Weekend Today, and we wish him all the best for the future.”

In a statement, Peter said he had “an amazing time at Nine being a foreign correspondent, news reporter and covering some amazing stories for 60 Minutes” — but strangely didn’t mention his latest gig on Weekend Today.

“I’ll miss my friends at Nine very much, it has been a huge privilege to work alongside so many great people,” he added.

Sylvia Jeffreys and Peter Stefanovic at Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine Yarbrough's wedding in Cabo, Mexico

Last week Nine denied reports in The Daily Telegraph that Peter was being shown the door after his underwhelming performance on Weekend Today.

Nine bosses had noted Peter didn’t have the same on-air charisma as his older brother, with a source close to the show suggesting South Australian TV identity Brenton Ragless would replace him Peter on Weekend Today next year.

One industry source said Nine’s bosses continued to blame Peter for airing the TV network’s dirty laundry in a leaked conversation in an Uber in March.

Peter was busted bitching to Karl about Nine and their colleagues while on speakerphone in the back of an Uber with his wife, Today newsreader Sylvia Jeffreys.

A Nine insider said the scandal was to blame for his demise at the network.

‘‘Everyone is in shock, but its Ubergate that’s done him in,” the insider told The Australian. “Today has been spiralling out of control. And they bone people.”

Peter Stefanovic and Allison Langdon. Picture: Britta Campion / The Australian

Karl and Peter during the London Olympics in 2012

Joining the network in 2004, the 37-year-old is one of Nine’s most recognised foreign correspondents having worked in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Peter later wrote a book about his time reporting overseas, Hack in a Flak Jacket: Dispatches From an Aussie Foreign Correspondent.

In 2017 Peter married Sylvia in a lavish wedding ceremony attended by a who’s who of Nine stars including Karl, Richard Wilkins, Lisa Wilkinson and Ben Fordham.

Peter isn’t the only Stefanovic whose future is in doubt, with Karl facing increasing speculation about how long he will last as Today host next year.

Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine Yarbrough’s lavish wedding. Picture: Supplied

As Karl married second wife Jasmine Yarbrough in a lavish Mexican ceremony earlier this month, Today’s executive producer Mark Calvert stepped down after a year of bad ratings.

A Nine insider told news.com.au at the time, “I presume (Nine announced Calvert had stepped down) because they needed a scapegoat to appease advertisers. To say, ‘Look, we’ve done something. It will get better now.’ God help the next executive producer.”

The real problem with the show isn’t so much what’s going on behind the scenes, the insider said, but rather what is now being called the Karl effect.

“If they don’t fix the Karl thing, it will never work — regardless of whether they put God in charge as EP. Karl was and is the liability — not Calvert.”