EXCLUSIVE: Lisa Wilkinson defends co-host Karl Stefanovic

Today Show host Lisa Wilkinson has spoken for the first time about her co-host’s Karl Stefanovic separation in an interview with Mia Freedman.

Stefanovic, 42, separated from his wife of 21 years, 44-year-old Cassandra Thorburn, in September.

The separation has been heavily publicised ever since The Sunday Telegraph reported he had moved out of the family home he shared with Thorburn and their three children.

Rumours have been rife in the months since, with the media speculating on the reasons for the split — something that can never be known by anyone other than Karl and Cass.

Listen to Lisa Wilkinson talk about Karl Stefanovic’s divorce on No Filter with Mia Freedman.

“There’s a lot of rubbish out there at the moment, a lot of lies,” Wilkinson told Freedman.

“It’s been really interesting, looking at weekly women’s magazines and seeing the way they operate in 2016, and seeing some of the online sites, and the complete lies they are happy to write.

“I am disgusted with some sections of the media at the moment.”

Wilkinson’s career in the media spans almost four decades, and includes experience in print, digital and broadcast journalism. She expressed her disappointment at the lies that are published “without any regard to the fact there’s human beings involved here, and there’s children involved.”

Stefanovic and Thorburn have three children together, Jackson, 16, Ava, 11, and 10-year-old River.

"My growing disgust for the people in charge of those magazines and those websites right now makes me so angry. My anger knows no bounds over that," Wilkinson continued.

"And I feel very protective towards the people that are involved...and you don't want to give it oxygen. You don't dignify any of it."

Wilkinson, an ambassador for Canon, recently had her first exhibition of portraits she has taken of 10 women.

The exhibition is currently showing in Sydney and will be touring. You can find details here.

You can listen to the full episode of 'No Filter' with Lisa Wilkinson here.

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