Karl and Lisa reunited

KARL & LISA’S ‘HEATED’ REUNION

Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson were all smiles for social media last week, sharing photos of their happy reunion lunch. But behind the scenes, our spies tell a very different story.

In what seemed to be a ‘heated exchange’, the pair spent the majority of their three-hour meeting ‘clearly frustrated, speaking in hushed tones’ – a vast contrast to the camaraderie they have portrayed to their followers.

‘They were frosty,’ says our eyewitness. ‘That selfie was just for show. That lunch was very intense and neither of them seemed very friendly toward the other.’ In what was apparently their first catch-up since Lisa quit Today after she was refused the same pay as Karl, the pair took to Instagram with a beaming selfie as evidence that their friendship had survived the bitter salary feud. But according to onlookers at Cafe Sydney, there appeared to be no love lost between the former co-workers.

‘At first they seemed to be trying to clear the air and move on from everything that’s been said and done, but the longer it went on, the more terse their exchange became,’ says the spy.

‘Poor Lisa looked really frustrated and they didn’t look like they were agreeing on much at all, maybe it was still too soon.’

It was halfway through the surprising scene that the breakfast television stars were joined by Lisa’s husband Peter Fitzsimons, who stepped in to defuse the fiery exchange.

‘He could tell something was up and seemed to be giving some advice, and it worked too,’ the source reveals. ‘They both just sat there listening to him for ages, but then in a bit of self promotion he gave Karl a copy of his new book and asked him to pose for a photo so he could plug it. It was a bit awkward to watch really.’

It was also during this time that the former rugby player asked the duo to pose for the photo. Lisa later posted it on Instagram, with the caption: ‘The best lunch today with this guy.’

‘It seemed like a bit of a PR move in all honesty,’ says the spy. ‘In reality, neither of them looked like they wanted to be there at all.’

Once Peter excused himself, leaving Lisa and Karl to work out their differences, the mood soon turned sombre.

‘Karl had finished a bottle of Chardonnay by this stage and Lisa was sipping cocktails throughout, but even the alcohol didn’t loosen the mood. Once Peter had gone it all got very serious,’ the spy reveals.

‘They may have fooled a few people into thinking they are mates, but I doubt they’ll catch up again anytime soon.’ NI

THEY MAY SMILE FOR THE CAMERAS, BUT SOURCES SAY THESE TWO ARE ANYTHING BUT UNITED