Henry Bretz’s parody social media videos impersonating Karl Stefanovic have been blocked by the former Today host turned podcaster. Composite: Henry Bretz View image in fullscreen Henry Bretz’s parody social media videos impersonating Karl Stefanovic have been blocked by the former Today host turned podcaster. Composite: Henry Bretz Australian media Meet the comedian parodying Karl Stefanovic: ‘He’s cosplaying a conservative’ Since January, comedian Henry Bretz has posted more than 30 satirical videos impersonating the former Nine star turned controversial podcaster
Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates
Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast
Caitlin Cassidy Tue 7 Jul 2026 17.00 CEST Last modified on Wed 8 Jul 2026 09.35 CEST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google A comedian who has earned viral acclaim for his videos parodying Karl Stefanovic says he “doesn’t scare me” after the former TV host turned podcaster blocked him on social media.
Queenslander Henry Bretz, who co-hosts the drive program on Sunshine Coast’s 92.7 Mix FM, began impersonating the former Nine presenter a few months after he launched his independent podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show, in January.
Since April, he has posted more than 30 satirical videos , with titles ranging from “Karl Stefanovic when it rains” and “Karl Stefanovic sees an electric vehicle” to “Karl Stefanovic solves the Middle East”.
Read more Bretz says he has never had a “personal vendetta” against Stefanovic but was concerned about his lurch to the right. Last month, Stefanovic was dumped from his $2.8m contract with Nine for embracing far-right activist Tommy Robinson .
“I definitely hadn’t … focused that much on Karl during the mainstream Today Show era. I just saw him as a relatively lovable larrikin,” Bretz says.
“Then when I saw him put his podcast out, to me, it was pretty obvious that he was following a blueprint that has been successful – albeit, pretty dangerous – in the United States.
“I was like, ‘Oh, this is definitely following the rhythms of a Joe Rogan ’, which he savvily and cleverly identified as a gap in Australia.”
This article includes content provided by Instagram . We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue' .
‘This is ripe for parody’ The first episode of Stefanovic’s controversial podcast featured an interview with the One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, followed by defector to the party, Barnaby Joyce, and vaccine sceptic and former Liberal senator Gerard Rennick.
Bretz had his eye on the program, but it wasn’t until viewing a nostalgic video created for Stefanovic by content creator Sammy Thompson that he sensed it was ripe for satire.
Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads
In Thompson’s video, played on Stefanovic’s podcast and shared on social media, he reflects on how Australia used to be in his youth, set to sepia-tinged AI-generated footage of Brisbane in the 70s and 80s.
“I went to school barefoot with whole salamis and cheese for morning tea,” Stefanovic narrates poetically. “We also had a Nissan Urvan, no air-con. How we cooked on the way to the Goldie.”
Immediately, Bretz was suss. “I was like bro, you went to a private school in Brisbane, you went to Churchie, it’s one of the most expensive schools in the city,” he says with a laugh.
“Without a political agenda I just was like ‘Th…