Lisa Wilkinson has quit The Project following claims of bullying after being given strict rules around the rape case surrounding Brittany Higgins.
The co-host announced her departure on Sunday night (November 20) after five years leading the episodes from Thursday to Sunday.
“It’s time to reprioritise a few things in my life,” Wilkinson said on the program.
“And after almost 15 years of the early alarm on breakfast TV, and now another five years here at the Project desk, I’m looking at how I want the coming years to play out, both professionally and personally.
“So, from tonight, I’m stepping back from hosting the show.
“Sitting at this desk and working with this incredible team both in front of and behind the camera has been an absolute privilege.
“These people are genuinely some of the most talented and decent humans I know and you, our passionate engaged audience have been so kind in making me feel so welcome in your homes.
“I have had a ball but for me right now it is time for a change.”
After five years at the desk, @Lisa_Wilkinson will be the leaving The Project. Here is the moment she made the announcement.#TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/2nEc1kbTcI
— The Project (@theprojecttv) November 20, 2022
Despite her dramatic speech, Wilkinson will remain at Channel 10 for some “exciting work ideas ahead”.
She went on to say that she has been “relentlessly targeted” by other media organisations, which in turn have contributed to her quitting.
“But I also have to be honest with you, the last six months have not been easy and the relentless, targeted toxicity by some sections of the media has taken a toll, not just on me but on people I love,” she continued.
“Don’t get me wrong, I am not above criticism, far from it, I am human and I don’t always get it right, none of us do, but by god I have tried.
“I have given this job everything I have and I hope you at home know that. I hope I have brought you stories that matter and introduced you to people whose lives and experiences might otherwise never be told and help bring into focus issues that deserve our collective attention.”
Wilkinson’s departure comes just weeks after the face of The Project Carrie Bickmore said she wanted to spend more time with the family.
Image: The Project
This article first appeared on OverSixty.