Karl Stefanovic announces when he will return to Today show amid ratings slide

Today show host Karl Stefanovic will be back on air this coming week.  

Daily Mail Australia has learnt Stefanovic will return to the host’s chair on the breakfast program on Tuesday morning.

‘I’m fat and rested and ready to rumble,’ the popular 48-year-old television personality said to friends. 

‘Brekkie TV is a marathon. A really fun marathon where you don’t run. My kind of marathon,’ he went on. 

‘Post school holidays we have some incredible announcements for our viewers. They will be blown away. I’m that excited. ‘

Karl joked about his holiday weight gain, quipping, ‘Does anyone know how to lose ten kilos in one night’.

He added, ‘I’m ready to rip in’.

Stefanovic, who has been off the air attending a lavish wedding in Paris, has been replaced on air by Charles Croucher and James Bracey.

The absence of the breakfast program’s star is doing wonders for ratings, with the numbers rising, not falling, while he’s been away.

The show has rung in its strongest ratings in four weeks with Karl away, rising up to 191,760 viewers on Monday. 

 ‘I’m fat and rested and ready to rumble,’ the popular 48-year-old television personality said. ‘Brekkie TV is a marathon. A really fun marathon where you don’t run. My kind of marathon’

There’s still competition from Sunrise, however, with more eyeballs on the series thanks to new host Matt Shirvington, who recently replaced David ‘Kochie’ Koch. 

Sunrise smashed Today with a lead of 66,000 viewers over the five capital cities during Shirvington’s debut episode on June 12.

By June 19 that lead had risen by a further 10,000, bringing in 245,192 viewers to Sunrise.  

It comes after Karl skipped town for the lavish society wedding of millionaire chicken heiress Tamie Ingham and chef Guillaume Brahimi in Paris.

Stefanovic, who has long been friends with Brahimi after being introduced by mutual acquaintance James Packer, served as emcee at the ritzy nuptials spread across two raucous days culminating in a reception at the famed Maxim’s bistro.

Karl skipped town for the lavish society wedding of millionaire chicken heiress Tamie Ingham and chef Guillaume Brahimi in Paris alongside his wife, Jasmine (left) 

Karl appeared to be having the time of his life on holiday, watching the footy on his phone

The dad-of-four was photographed living it up with wife Jasmine in the French capital, first attending a welcome soiree at cult restaurant Girafe Paris on Tuesday evening.

He was seen the following day arriving for the ceremony at the sprawling Museum Mondee where Brahimi officially tied the knot with Tamie – a member of the Ingham chicken family which sold the poultry business back in 2013 for $800million.

Karl and Jasmine, who were staying at the $13,000-per night Hotel Costes while in Paris, spent two weeks abroad in total.

The absence of Stefanovic is doing wonders for ratings, with the numbers rising, not falling, while he’s been away. There’s still competition from Sunrise, however, with more eyeballs on the series thanks to new host Matt Shirvington (pictured)