WHY KARL DISAPPEARED

A POORLY TIMED HOLIDAY HAS ALARM BELLS RINGING

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This week marks one of the most important weeks in brekkie TV history – but Karl Stefanovic won’t be around to see it.

New Idea was last week tipped off by exclusive sources that Karl will indeed be absent when top-rating Sunrise’s new superstar co-host Matt ‘Shirvo’ Shirvington replaces retiring David ‘Kochie’ Koch from Monday – a move which has raised eyebrows among TV insiders.

Instead, Karl is travelling for a close friend’s wedding, as part of a 14-day break commencing June 12.

While Nine’s director of morning television Steve Burling assures New Idea, “[Karl] booked in these two weeks’ leave some months ago,” our sources point out his plans could spell disaster for Today.

“The timing is absolutely horrible,” confides a TV source, who says bosses “obviously” would have preferred that Karl was their man to go up against Shirvo in his first week.