Breakfast show host Karl Stefanovic is taking his second break from Today in less than a month amid speculation he is facing a whopping pay cut.
The 50-year-old Nine star joined his wife Jasmine and their four-year-old daughter Harper for Easter holidays this weekend in Fiji as the network are reportedly looking to slash his $3million salary by half.
Insiders have revealed that Karl is under a cloud at Nine as a 'jaded' brand.
'He doesn't attract audience numbers, he doesn't pull in big interviews,' a source revealed to News.com.au on Thursday.
The insider continued, 'He might put in some hours but he has become a clichéd slick-talking salesman and the view of news bosses is his is a jaded brand that has eclipsed Today's.'
Karl was planning to drop his regular spot on Today on Thursday the report claimed, to join his wife and daughter, who flew to Fiji on Wednesday.
But according to the publication said he changed his plans and made the trip separately.
The family are understood to be staying at the Kokomo Island Resort, where prices per night for the top tier residences on sit can cost up to $4000-per-night.
A minimum three night stay is required, and a five day package, including flights, can run up to $18,900 per person.
Karl just returned from two-week getaway before Easter which news.com.au claims the TV star took at short notice due to a 'family crisis'.
The Nine veteran will be negotiating with Nine CEO Matt Stanton, who started in the role last month.
Stanton replaced outgoing long-term CEO Mike Sneesby.
Karl's Fiji jaunt comes after he took a break earlier this month due to 'personal family matters', earlier this month.
The 'unscheduled absence' triggered 'crisis talks' reported News on April 2.
Insiders told the publication that Karl has taken a second week off to handle 'issues at home relating to his blended family'.
Network bosses are said to have asked Sydney prime time sports reader James Bracey to fill-in for Stefanovic for another week according to the report.
However, Nine told Daily Mail Australia that Stefanovic will be returning to the show next week after 'scheduled leave'.
'Karl is on scheduled leave after a busy start to the year and will be back on Monday, 7 April,' a Nine spokesperson said in a statement.
Stefanovic shares daughter Harper, who turns five in May with his current wife Jasmine Yarbrough, and three other children - Willow, 20, Jackson, 25, and River, 18 - with ex-wife, journalist Cassandra Thorburn.
The TV star and Yarbrough began dating in September 2016, just months after he separated from Thorburn following 21 years of marriage.
His divorce from Thorburn was finalised in October 2017, with the media personality proposing to Yarbrough just four months later in February 2018.
They married that same year in December in Mexico.
Insiders have revealed to News on Friday that Karl is under a cloud at Nine as a 'jaded' brand.
Stefanovic and Thorburn's divorce drudged up a wave of controversy when a widely-cited report by The Sydney Morning Herald in March 2017 said Thorburn was left 'blindsided' when her husband walked out on her.
According to a 'family source', she 'had no inkling' their relationship was in trouble when she 'returned from doing the weekly grocery run to discover her husband had packed his bags and would not be returning'.
Stefanovic then met shoe designer Yarbrough at a boat party five months later and the pair hit it off.
The nature of Stefanovic's split from Thorburn dealt damage not just to his family, but to his career as the popular co-anchor of Today.
He was dumped from the show during his Aspen honeymoon with Yarbrough in 2018 as his ratings took a sharp decline.
At the time, he had been the host of Today for 14 years, and while he has since made a return to the program, Nine have yet to steal back the number one breakfast spot from Seven's Sunrise.