Karl Stefanovic Eyes $1.5M Lawsuit Against Nine

 is reportedly talking to lawyers about pursuing Channel Nine for wrongful dismissal following his departure from the network. 

On Friday, Stefanovic declared 'I am free' in a video to fans after it was announced live on air that he has .

His Today co-host Sarah Abo broke down in tears as she .

Insiders have told news.com.au that Stefanovic hopes to take a leaf out of ' book by suing his former employer for the balance of his contract - and possibly also for reputational damage. 

The TV star, who has been a Nine stalwart for some 25 years, had six months and between $1 million and $1.5 million left to be paid on his 12 month contract.

Sandilands previously made a bid to , after tensions escalated over his long-running radio deal.

At the time, the radio host was reportedly considering an $80million claim for the value of his contract after discussions around his position and future direction at the network broke down. 

Sandilands was said to be considering a claim over the value of his contract after discussions around his position and future direction at the network broke down. 

Legal letters were exchanged, and for a brief period it was understood he was prepared to pursue damages for what he believed was the remaining value of his agreement, as well as the manner in which negotiations had unfolded.

However, the matter never progressed to a full court battle. Instead, both sides ultimately reached a confidential commercial settlement, allowing Sandilands to continue his broadcasting career without prolonged litigation or further public escalation.

It was announced on Friday that Stefanovic would be leaving Nine following the fallout from his controversial interview with  on his podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show. 

Abo broke down in tears as she said: 'Look, we know there has been a lot of speculation about Karl's future with the show. Today we wanted to  that Karl will not be returning to the Today show or to Nine,' she said. 

Fill-in host said it was 'no longer possible' for Stefanovic to work on both the breakfast show and his podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show.  

'As you know, he's been pursuing a podcast project independently of Nine for the past few months, and it's been decided he'll be injecting all of his energy and attention into that, as doing both is no longer possible,' he said. 

In a statement to The Daily Mail, Channel Nine said that they agreed with Stefanovic that he should '. 

'Nine Entertainment and Karl Stefanovic have agreed that it is no longer possible for him to continue hosting Today at the same time as his independent podcast,' they said. 

'While Karl and Nine had previously agreed he would leave Today at the end of this year, they have subsequently decided he will .'

Shortly after the announcement, Stefanovic addressed his Today show fans in a video, believed to be filmed in a park in London, saying the last few days 'hadn't been easy' but he was happy to be 'truly independent' at last. 

Stefanovic was set to resign from Nine .

He uploaded a controversial chat with the British far-right activist to his  channel podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show, on Tuesday, only to delete it hours later after facing widespread backlash.

Stefanovic, who is on two weeks' leave in London, was told the network ''. 

Meanwhile, Stefanovic's departure from the Today show and Channel Nine has sent shockwaves across the globe, with Australian fans abroad sharing their dismay in a new viral video. 

Video captured by Thomas McNally showed supporters breaking into chants of 'We want our Karl back' at San Pedro Square Market as Nine's Washington correspondent Lauren Tomasi broadcast live from the fan hub before the match.

Onlookers laughed as they watched the scene unfold, with one man joking: 'We don't actually'.