Australian breakfast television host Karl Stefanovic launched an attack on the media coverage of Schapelle Corby's return to Australia, calling his own network "idiots".
A discussion with his Today co-anchors on Monday morning turned into a heated argument as Stefanovic lamented the ongoing coverage of the convicted drug smuggler's journey to Brisbane after 13 years behind bars in Indonesia.
"Schapelle Corby - rightly or wrongly - has been convicted of drug smuggling," said Stefanovic.
"She's done her time and has the right to live her life in relative peace - if that's what she wants.
"Maybe she wants mayhem. Whatever, I don't care."
The 39-year-old convicted drug smuggler left Bali on Saturday night on a Malindo Air flight, arriving in Brisbane at 5:09am on Sunday morning.
Her return to Australia, 13 years after being convicted of smuggling 4.3kg of marijuana in a bodyboard bag, created as much of a media storm as when she was first caught by officials on the Indonesian island.
- Schapelle Corby: A lavish return for Australia's most famous drug smuggler
- Schapelle Corby: A free woman back in Australia
More than 40 journalists and photographers booked flights on a Virgin Airlines plane after being led to believe that would be Corby's ride home. She pulled a classic bait-and-switch, having actually got a front row business class seat on Malinda Air with her sister Mercedes.
According to Stefanovic, all the fuss made his colleagues look stupid.
"There are far more important things in life than pursuing and losing Schapelle Corby. We in the media have a responsibility to inform but I reckon we were all made to look like idiots yesterday - and to what end?
"Where Schapelle is, what she looks like... come on. We know. And you know what? It ain't that interesting. Move along, please."
However, his co-host Lisa Wilkinson disagreed, pointing out that we've only ever heard her story through the Corby family.
"For 13 years, we've all followed the ups and downs of this young woman's story, and had our thoughts on her guilt and innocence. But we've never really heard from the woman directly," Wilkinson argued.
Newshub.
