'Should we bring back Karl?' Pauline Hanson attacks TV host over show's ratings
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has taken a vicious swipe at Today Show host Deborah Knight in retaliation to claims her party has plummeted in the polls.
Senator Hanson hit back live on air on Thursday morning, telling the Nine presenter she was responsible for the Today Show’s dwindling audience numbers in response to being told One Nation’s Newspoll ratings had collapsed to just four per cent.
The One Nation leader initially appeared calm and collective, informing Knight that she had taken the party from 1.3 per cent in 2016 to 6.6 per cent, before unleashing on the presenter.
“I've actually gone up since the last election, unlike your show, Deb, since you have taken over you have actually gone down in viewership,” she quipped.
“Ooh, you’re having a go,” Knight responds before Ms Hanson’s rant continues, asking if previous Today Show host Karl Stefanovic should be brought back in her place.
“So should you hand over your job or should we bring Karl back? Well should we bring Karl back?” she asks, as the discussion escalates.
“You have a go at me about this all the time about the polls, going down in the polls.”
She went on to point out that at the previous election her party claimed two seats in the Senate despite previous low ratings in the polls.
Appearing shocked, Knight reminded Ms Hanson it was her “job to ask you questions” as a journalist.
After stating earlier in the interview that One Nation’s ratings were on a par with Clive Palmer’s party, Knight tried to shift the attention to Mr Palmer’s recent trip to Fiji just days before the election.
As the feisty interview neared its end, Knight tried to make amends for the bad blood, telling Senator Hanson she was the most popular choice in a recent Triple M poll about which politician Australians would most like to go for a beer with.
“It is nice to know people want to have a beer with me because I'm one of the guys out there – I'm an Aussie who feels so disheartened with what is happening to my country,” Ms Hanson said.
It was the second on-screen blow up in as many days ahead of Saturday’s election, after Studio 10’s Kerrie-Ann Kennerley attacked Bill Shorten and the Labor Party during the show.
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