InstagramWhile recently-departed Today Show star Karl Stefanovic mulls over his next move, having been shown the door by Channel Nine following his podcast interview with a far-right figure, his daughter Willow has been studying in London – and enjoying quite the jetset lifestyle.
The 21-year-old – one of three children Karl shares with his ex wife Cassandra Thorburn – has recently graduated from the London College of Fashion – with international student fees reportedly setting her family back around $60k a year.
And when she’s not working in her new role as a post grad intern, it appears Willow is able to live the high life with her Argentinian boyfriend Genaro.
Recent snaps shared to her Instagram page see her donning glamorous outfits in the likes of St Tropez, Tuscany, Monaco and the French Riviera.
Earlier in June, Karl himself joked about the cost of funding his daughter’s tuition, revealing on The Long Weekend – his Gold radio show with Eddie McGuire – that Willow had just finished uni and describing it as “the really expensive one that Dad has to pay for”.
“Willow is living the dream – her mum and dad have always said education is everything, despite their bitter split,” a source tells Woman’s Day, adding that Willow is “the apple of her dad’s eye and has him wrapped around her little finger”.
But the insider adds that with Karl’s career now taking a new trajectory, it may be time for Willow to tone down her “expensive tastes”.
“Willow is often seen jetting off to Europe and seems to be wearing the latest luxury labels,” the source says, adding that the star needed to sit his daughter down and “explain that she’s going to have to fend for herself from here on”.
“He will always be there for her but he also believes sometimes a bit of tough love never hurts,” the insider adds. “Especially when your daughter has been able to get on a plane and jet off to one of Europe’s priciest destinations, Monaco, for a weekend.”
“She is at least working in London which will relieve Karl – he will have said to her something along the lines of, ‘Sweetheart, Dad isn’t earning the big bucks anymore for a while so we all need to pull in the purse strings’.”
It’s understood that Karl and Willow’s relationship has been very positive in recent years and Willow is said to “love it” when he’s in town.
“They don’t seem to have too much of a cash flow problem yet,” the insider explains, adding that Karl is likely to feel comforted knowing that his daughter is well looked after by her boyfriend who is rumoured to come from a wealthy Buenos Aires family.
Still, Karl himself seems a little uncertain about what the future holds. In a statement following his resignation from Nine, the star described himself as “free” and “truly independent” while also admitting, “I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I’ll figure it out.”
Of course, with his podcast The Karl Stefanovic Show ramping up to five episodes a week, it appears the broadcaster will be kept busy no matter what other new projects emerge.
And while in the UK recently, Karl and wife Jasmine found time to embrace the high life themselves – with the duo snapped at the glitzy Royal Ascot races where they mingled with the country’s racing elite.
It was an outing that one insider says raised eyebrows among some of the star’s fans.
“In the end if Karl’s podcast is going to be a global success, he might want to take a leaf out of his old mate Jimmy Barnes book – and remind himself he is just a working class man,” the source says.
“Forget the top hat and tails, stop sending mixed messages and get on with the next chapter of his life – whatever that might bring!”