Karl Stefanovic defends Today show interview with anti-masker Lizzy Rose

Today copped an avalanche of criticism after giving an anti-masker five minutes of airtime. Now Karl Stefanovic has defended the move.

Karl Stefanovic has defended the Today show’s choice to interview an anti-masker live on air yesterday.

Lizzy Rose, who was responsible for one of the weekend’s viral Bunnings videos, was interviewed on the Channel 9 breakfast show for five minutes yesterday and declared the coronavirus pandemic was “orchestrated” and “biochemically engineered”.

Eventually Stefanovic pulled the pin on the interview, telling the conspiracy theorist: “You know, I can’t even listen to you anymore. Nup. It’s wrong.”

While some viewers praised Stefanovic for cutting the woman off, others criticised the Today show for inviting her on in the first place.

@TheTodayShow I had to walk away while you gave that anti mask moron air time because people like that are dangerous and irresponsible. Please don't give these people more attention. More of the Langwarrin kiddos, less of the anti mask idiots please.

— Em Nanscawen (@EmNanscawen) July 27, 2020

@TheTodayShow @karlstefanovic Why are you giving air time and oxygen to "anti maskers" like Lizzy? Glad to see she had time to put make up on for 15 seconds of fame on national TV but she won't wear a mask. Don't give her a platform or air time. Blur her face.

— Anna Condaa (@klawdan) July 27, 2020

Followed by “but in our defence we did consider not having them on”

— James Mathison (@jamesmathison) July 29, 2020

“Why have her on in the first place? It’s not like you can run an argument that she was going to have a reasonable, rational explanation,” another viewer tweeted.

This morning Stefanovic and his Today co-host Allison Langdon appeared on KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O and defended their interview with the anti-masker.

“She came on because I thought she had an explanation as to why she would be so aggressive,” Stefanovic said. “We wanted to see if she had an explanation that was reasonable. She didn’t and then I got a little bit sick of it and I said ‘that’s it’.”

Stefanovic said it was important to hear from guests who have differing views.

“I think having these people on is cool, we’re all about democracy and people having freedom of speech, but if you don’t have a good reason for doing it, then there’s no reason,” he said on KIIS FM.

The Today host admitted that he had been frustrated by footage of anti-maskers confronting authorities in Victoria as the state battles a second wave of coronavirus.

“It’s making me anxious looking at these people having a go at cops,” he said. “It’s enough!”