'I can't listen anymore': Today show host cuts short 'Karen from Bunnings' interview
An interview with a Melbourne woman who has gone viral after broadcasting her anti-mask rhetoric through several online videos has been cut short on the Today show after host Karl Stefanovic said he couldn’t listen to her “weird whacko beliefs” any longer.
Lizzy Rose has been dubbed “Karen from Bunnings 2.0” after video of herself not wearing a mask in Maribyrnong Bunnings began to circulate on the weekend after another woman went viral for arguing with staff over the store’s mask policy.
“This is about your control, your compliance, it’s about silencing you,” Ms Rose tells the camera, while claiming in a separate Facebook post staff rejected her medical exemption to wearing a mask.
Appearing on Channel Nine on Tuesday morning, she was shot down by Stefanovic and co-host Ally Langdon as she tried to claim COVID-19 was “chemically engineered intentionally”.
In one video Ms Rose was filmed burning face masks telling viewers she and the Australian public do not consent to forced mask wearing.
Yet images of Ms Rose wearing masks several months ago have emerged, where she instructs others to do the same.
On Tuesday she told Today she had done so to prove a point.
“It is about choice. If you want a mask that is up to you,” she said.
When Langdon asked her if the near 700 people in aged care facilities infected with coronavirus had a choice, she replied: “Is it COVID?... Is it medically diagnosed?”
A baffled Langdon hit back asking: “What was your medical degree again, sorry?”
Ms Rose then claimed she was previously a medic four years ago while also saying she has been a professional working psychic since the age of nine.
"My health comes first." Anti-masker Lizzy believes COVID-19 is bio-chemically engineered and refuses to wear face masks. What are your thoughts on this? #9Today pic.twitter.com/Dgl4zuOjYh
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) July 27, 2020
Anti-masker’s Today interview cut short
Having heard enough, Stefanovic unleashed on Ms Rose.
“You deliberately went into that place to antagonise workers who are literally just trying to do their bit for the country right now,” he said.
“You have exposed all these weird whacko beliefs and unfortunately people out there will believe you and side with you, that is irresponsible in this current climb climate.
“I can't listen to you any more.”
While Ms Rose tries to continue she is cut off and the interview abruptly ends before Stefanovic apologises to the viewers.
“It's wrong, I'm sorry. I thought that we would in some way shape or form, get to a reasonable excuse as to why she was doing that.
“Otherwise we wouldn't have got her on in the first place.”
On Monday, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews called for the media to “not focus on” conspiracy theorists on a day the state announced a record 532 new cases.
“Today's message, the message that will be the most powerful and impactful, the message that will save lives is not focusing on people whose frankly their behaviour is appalling,” he said.
“Their views have no basis in science or fact or law.”
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