Daniel James

There's this really comical game of professional chicken.

Nine understand how problematic this is.

Their journalists are really upset about the impact it has on their reputations.

But the minute you let Carl go, I am almost certain

There will be an episode of the Carl Stefanovic show along the lines of why I was cancelled by the mainstream media.

Here's my tell-all about how and why I left Nine.

And I suspect Nine would have wanted to avoid that for as long as possible.

Now, it's worth noting that Carl took a half million dollar pay cut to continue with Nine.

The economics of paying television talent these enormous salaries, that doesn't work anymore, not in Australia.

That gravy train across the industry, not just at Nine, is over.

That's primarily, I think, the reason why Carl wanted to exit, is to make up that difference elsewhere.

Coming up, does this play right into the hands of Carl and his far-right bros?

Danny, I think for a lot of people, this transformation from brekkie TV host to Australia's Joe Rogan or Tucker Carlson has come as a shock.

But you say this has been coming for a while now.

What signs did you spot in this trajectory?

The part of which it became really clear to me that Carl's media diet was changing.

And he said this.

was an interview he gave right before he interviewed the Prime Minister.

And he had two right-wing figures.

He had Sam Bamford from Two Worlds Collide, who's an ex-soldier, and he had Chris Cadillaris.