Channel Nine finally acknowledges Michael Clarke's row with Jade Yarbrough trends now
Karl Stefanovic got caught up in a row with Michael Clarke and his girlfriend Jade Yarbrough earlier this month - and Channel Nine steadfastly refused to report on it.
But the network finally broke its silence over the weekend to give an update on the police investigation into the matter - but made sure there was no mention of the Today host's involvement.
On Nine's Sydney bulletin on Saturday night, Lizzie Pearl reported that Clarke, 41, and Yarbrough, 30, had been slapped with 'public nuisance' fines.
Karl Stefanovic (left) got caught up in a row with Michael Clarke and his girlfriend Jade Yarbrough earlier this month - and Channel Nine steadfastly refused to report on it... until now
However, she didn't reference the fact Stefanovic intervened in the scuffle.
'Former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke and his girlfriend Jade Yarbrough have been fined by police over a public stoush in Queensland earlier this month,' the newsreader said.
'Captured on camera in a park near the Noosa river, the couple are seen arguing. Police say they have now completed their investigation.'
According to The Australian on Monday, Nine's newspapers reported on the incident because of its newsworthiness, but otherwise steered clear of bringing more attention to Stefanovic, who is arguably the network's biggest star.
The network finally broke its silence over the weekend to give an update on the police investigation into the matter - but made sure there was no mention of the Today host
Over on Nine Entertainment's radio stations, 3AW breakfast host Neil Mitchell didn't shy away from the issue and unflinchingly stood up for Stefanovic last week while slamming Clarke's behaviour.
He said the former Test captain was 'carrying on like a bozo bogan' before sympathising with 'poor old Karl' and clearing him of blame.
'He's a trouble magnet, Karl. This wasn't his fault, he was a witness to all this, but he's a trouble magnet, it just follows him around. Poor old Karl… it's ugly stuff,' he said.
On Nine's Sydney bulletin on Saturday night, Lizzie Pearl (pictured) reported that Clarke, 41, and Yarbrough, 30, had been slapped with 'public nuisance' fines
Meanwhile, a source told Woman's Day Stefanovic 'pleaded' with the higher-ups at Nine not to air the explosive footage or blast his name across the network.
'He is actually feeling quietly relieved he hasn't come out as the bad guy in all this,' a source added.
Meanwhile, Clarke had an awkward return to the airwaves on Monday as he hosted his first Sky Sports Radio show of the year - less than a week after footage of his blazing row with Yarbrough went viral.
Early on in the program, the hosts of Big Sports Breakfast briefly mentioned the Noosa incident - but only to say they wouldn't be discussing it.
Clarke's co-host Gerard Middleton said: 'Now, of course, [there is] enormous fascination into Clarkey's life and we are just hitting this on the head straight away.'
Nine has mostly avoided the incident, but 3AW breakfast host Neil Mitchell (pictured) didn't shy away from the issue and unflinchingly stood up for Stefanovic last week
'It is a private matter that Clarkey's obviously been dealing with, a very, very private matter, which unfortunately was made public,' he continued.
'There's a lot of factors in play here and Clarkey's made his statement last week and due to all the factors in play we are moving forward on The Big Sports Breakfast this morning.'
Extraordinary footage emerged last Wednesday of a heated exchange between Clarke and his girlfriend
