More trouble for Nine as Jessica Rowe revisits 'appalling' Today show exit with Karl Stefanovic: 'I was lying on the lawn crying'

As Karl Stefanovic battles one of the biggest controversies of his career, former Today co-host Jessica Rowe has revisited the 'appalling' treatment she says she endured at Nine.

Appearing on Kate Langbroek's No Filter podcast this week, the veteran broadcaster, 56, reflected on the traumatic aftermath of her short-lived stint alongside Stefanovic on the Today show, revealing she was left devastated after being replaced while on maternity leave.

The interview comes as Stefanovic faces mounting scrutiny following backlash surrounding his controversial political podcast, with Daily Mail revealing it was his decision to pull out of his weekly ARN radio appearance.

Speaking candidly about her experience at Nine, Rowe said the months surrounding her departure remain among the most painful of her life.

'I remember having meetings with my lawyer, breastfeeding in the morning, putting breast pads into my bra, going to have meetings with my lawyer, and just thinking, "What has become of me?"' she recalled. 

'I remember lying on my front lawn in tears, just thinking, 'What is going on?'

Rowe, who joined Today in 2006 alongside Stefanovic, said she initially believed landing the coveted hosting role was the culmination of years of hard work.

'I thought, 'Yes, this is a dream come true. This is what I've been working for,' she said.

Instead, she found herself at the centre of what she described as a relentless public campaign of criticism.

She recalled being compared to a 'velociraptor' in one newspaper column before being labelled television's 'most annoying person'.

'It wasn't the end of it. It was just the start of a very public campaign,' she said.

The presenter also claimed there was little support from within the network.

'I remember a particular boss saying to me, 'There've been complaints about the way you laugh. Can you stop laughing?' Rowe said.

'I made the mistake of listening to him, so I stopped laughing for a time.'

She added that she later learned an important lesson from the ordeal.

'I will never ever listen to anyone telling me to be less than who I am.'

Rowe also alleged she was encouraged to issue a statement suggesting she had voluntarily stepped away from Today because of motherhood after welcoming daughter Allegra.

'It was suggested to me that there was a press release released that because of the demands of motherhood I decided to stand aside,' she said.

'I said, 'I'm not doing that… because that isn't true.'

Describing the handling of her departure as 'appalling', Rowe admitted she eventually decided against taking legal action because she simply no longer had the emotional energy to fight.

'I got to a point where I didn't have the energy to take them to court,' she said.

Despite the painful memories, Rowe was careful not to direct fresh criticism at Karl personally.

Instead, she reflected on the apology he offered her during an emotional episode of her Big Talk podcast in 2021, when the pair spoke publicly about their fractured working relationship for the first time.

'It was incredible,' Rowe said.

'Hearing Karl apologise to me was very important because that was the first time we'd spoken.'

She praised Stefanovic for agreeing to appear.

'It takes a lot of guts and courage on his behalf to show up and say that.'

Rowe said his apology acknowledged the role he had played during one of the darkest periods of her career.

'It was also a recognition from him that he had a responsibility too… that he had not lived up to that. He'd let me down.'

Stefanovic previously admitted he had failed Rowe during their time together on Today.

'I wasn't the man I should have been. I wasn't the co-host I should have been,' he told her during the 2021 interview.

Rowe has since rebuilt her career through advocacy work, podcasting and television, saying the experience ultimately taught her to stop trying to be perfect and instead 'chase joy'.

Her latest comments come at an awkward time for Nine, with Stefanovic himself facing renewed questions about his future after stepping back from several media commitments this week amid the fallout surrounding his podcast.