Bruce Bouchet reveals he started Kyle Sandilands and Karl Stefanovic show rumours with just $7
A $7 purchase was all it took to convince hundreds of people that two of Australia’s most vocal media stars had joined forces.
Eagle-eyed fans of outspoken TV star Karl Stefanovic and shock jock Kyle Sandilands noticed in early July that the latter’s company, King Kyle Group Pty Ltd, had registered new website domains.
Two new additions? KyleandKarl.com.au and KarlandKyle.com.au.
The registration of their website sparked controversy online, with fans believing it was a clear sign that Sandilands and Stefanovic would launch a new joint podcast or television show in the coming weeks.
“This show is going to be HUGE,” one fan wrote, while another wrote: “This is the best news I’ve heard all week.” he said.
However, their excitement was short-lived; One of the couple’s closest friends said the collaboration rumors were nothing more than a joke.
Bruce Bouchet, Kyle’s long-time manager and collaborator, confirmed he brazenly started the rumors earlier this week, explaining that he bought the two sites for a bit of “clickbait” and “not to mix it up.”
Speaking on the Game Changers podcast, Bouchet told hosts Craig Bruce and Irene Hulme that the idea came to him during a conversation with a reporter.
“He asked me, ‘What do you think of Karl and Kyle?'” Bouchet said live. “There was a journalist calling out.”
“While speaking to this magazine, I registered both domains and it was the best $7 I’ve ever spent.”
Despite some fans holding out hope that two of Australia’s most outspoken men would collaborate on a future project, Bouchet effectively dismissed the idea, telling the podcast hosts he felt the pair were too similar.
“I always thought, wearing my producer hat, what would Karl and Kyle’s chemistry bring? Like, if you were listening to it, what would be unique about the chemistry?” he said.
“Two rich white men of the same age and experience talking to each other? It’s not to try either way, but with any partnership you try to find out what the secret sauce is.”
“What is the output that will be unique?”
The prank comes after an eventful few months for the two stars, who lost long-standing media jobs.
Kyle Sandilands and co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson terminated their KISS contract following an on-air confrontation in February, which later led to the cancellation of their partnership after 27 years.
Sandilands later took her former employer to the Federal Court over the termination and the shock jock was awarded $12.09 million in damages.
Karl Stefanovic was sensationally axed from the Today program in June after more than two decades on air, following public criticism of a podcast interview with far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
