Karl Stefanovic Caught Soliciting Freebies in London

Influencers are known for asking brands to 'collaborate' in the hope of scoring freebies in exchange for a bit of 'exposure'.

But it's not every day you see a high-profile television star doing the same.

Eyebrows were raised this week when Daily Mail spotted an unusual advertisement from 's team asking hotels to provide him with a complimentary room. 

The ad - published in the latest edition of industry newsletter Social Diary - states that the Today host will be travelling to London in a few months to record his podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show. 

'We'd love to hear from hotel partners interested in accommodation partnerships (which will also be used as a studio for episodes),' the ad reads. 

The request is particularly surprising given Stefanovic's eye-watering salary. 

As the long-time host of Nine's Today show, he is widely regarded as the highest-paid television personality in Australia. 

It was reported his annual pay packet was around $3 million - although it was recently rumoured he had a pay cut, taking his pay down to $2 million.

However, the bumper payday puts the breakfast TV veteran well ahead of most of his rivals in the industry. 

Surely a millionaire presenter can afford a hotel room in London, even with the city's notoriously lofty accommodation price tags? 

The ad is also curious for another reason: accommodation used for business purposes is typically considered a legitimate tax deduction in Australia. 

If a hotel room were genuinely to be used as a recording location for a podcast, the cost would ordinarily be something Stefanovic's team could claim as a work-related expense. 

Of course, there are some possible explanations. 

Stefanovic's team may be hoping that the hotel will help promote Stefanovic's podcast on social media, helping boost the recently-launched show's audience. 

It comes as rumours continue to swirl that is preparing to walk away from his high-profile Today gig.

The Australian claimed on Monday that it is unlikely Stefanovic will extend his multi-million-dollar contract when it expires at the end of the year, and is eyeing a 'full-time switch to radio'.