Karl Stefanovic has been caught out on a wild 48-hour bucks party on the Sunshine Coast – just hours after he chucked a sickie on Today.
The “unwell” breakfast TV host went straight from Nine studios to Sydney airport and boarded a flight to Brisbane, before meeting up with a small group of mates in Mooloolaba for a “sedate affair.”
“It was very low-key,” bleary-eyed Karl told Woman’s Day when he was spotted boarding a flight back to Sydney on Sunday, despite one of his guests revealing that he didn’t get more than three hours sleep during the 48-hour-long bachelor party.
And video footage of Karl and his mates, including radio host Tim Blackwell, musician Michael Tramonte and A Current Affair producer Steve Marshall drinking, yelling and toasting Karl’s happiness proved it was anything but sedate.
Karl and his mates drank and toasted to Karl’s happiness.
The 44-year-old’s guests were caught on film partying on the balcony of ironman Grant Kenny’s Minyama Island mansion, where the first stage of the final night of the bucks weekend was held.
The celebration will certainly come as a shock to fans of Today, after Karl walked off the set just 40 minutes into the early morning broadcast on October 26, claiming he was too ill to continue – and then flew straight to Brisbane to begin his epic celebration.
Karl’s coughing and sniffles so concerned co-host Georgie Gardner she gave him “permission to go home”, before newsreader Deborah Knight stepped in to replace him.
READ MORE: Karl Stefanovic will be back next year to host the Today Show.
Karl was partying in Queensland to celebrate his upcoming marriage to Jasmine Yarbrough.
The following day, sick Karl competed in the 17km Lifeflight Ocean Paddle with Grant, telling The Courier-Mail “a good sleep” helped his miraculous recovery.
“I was very sick yesterday but had a good sleep and don’t feel too bad now,” he said.
Karl was chaperoned by Jasmine’s dad Bob Yarbrough, who picked him up from Brisbane on Friday morning and drove him to Mooloolaba, where he had booked four $200-a-night twin-share rooms for his mates and a three-bedroom apartment for himself at the Mantra Zanzibar Hotel.
WATCH: Get to know Jasmine Yarbrough. Post continues…
While Friday night was relatively tame, Karl let his hair down after the paddle event the following day, drinking and watching the horse races, including Winx’s fourth Cox Plate win, with his mates at Grant’s house. Karl was heard boasting that he cleaned up with a $5000 bet on Winx.
“We wrapped things up at 8.30,” confused Karl claimed, despite leaving Grant’s at 10pm before continuing the party in his suite at the Mantra Zanzibar.
Radio host Ben Fordham – who was widely tipped to replace Karl before Nine’s shock announcement he’d remain on Today – and one-time close mate Richard Wilkins didn’t make the trip.
Karl was snapped the day after his wild weekend at the airport.
Jasmine’s high-priced hens
While Karl and his younger brother Weekend Today co-host Peter Stefanovic were knocking back the beers and living it up in Queensland, his fiancee Jasmine Yarbrough threw herself an extravagant hens party in Melbourne.
The shoe designer, who stole Karl’s heart after his shock split from Cassandra Thorburn in 2016, splashed out more than $10,000 for a two-day celebration, including a custom-made cake decorated with a penis.
With a rumoured monthly allowance of $15,000 from Karl, Jasmine, 34, and about 20 friends enjoyed crates of $300-a-bottle Dom Perignon champagne and an endless supply of lobster and oysters during her party weekend.
The bride-to-be literally dazzled for her hens in Melbourne.
Dressed in killer heels, silver jumpsuit and matching tiara, a beaming Jasmine hosted a lunch at Melbourne’s exclusive Carolina restaurant, and seemed giddy with excitement as she posed for selfies with her fashionable posse.
The previous night the bride and her hens, including chicken heiress, stylist Tamie Ingham, hit the invitation-only Mahogany Room, which is normally reserved for elite high rollers, but then Crown is part-owned by Karl’s close mate James Packer, who would have ensured Jasmine enjoyed a VIP experience.
It wouldn’t be a hens party without a penis cake!
Ready to hit the town with the girls. (All images exclusive to Diimex)
Of course, the parties were just a warm-up for the couple’s lavish three-day nuptials at San Jose del Cabo in Mexico next month.
Woman’s Day is told Karl has splashed out hundreds of thousands of dollars to ensure Jasmine has the sort of wedding most brides can only dream of.
