Lisa Wilkinson’s $100,000-a-year clothing allowance
Lisa Wilkinson’s $100,000-a-year clothing allowance was slashed to $40,000 after she was dumped from The Project.
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Lisa Wilkinson’s $100,000-a-year clothing allowance was slashed to $40,000 after she was dumped from The Project in the wake of the “nightmare” fallout from the Logies speech that Ten executives had privately assured her was “all good”.
New documents also reveal Ms Wilkinson, who had campaigned on the gender pay gap issue, also wanted business class flights for domestic connections to international travel.
Her exact salary is not detailed, but in emails Network Ten CEO Beverley McGarvey confirms she remains on full pay despite not hosting The Project or appearing on TV since 2022.
The breakdown in relations between the TV star and her employer are detailed in excruciating detail in new documents published by the Federal Court.
They include negotiations over the TV host’s six figure allowance for designer dresses, such as the black off-the-shoulder ball gown by Velani that she wore to her ill-fated Logies speech.
On November 22, 2022, her agent Nick Fordham wrote to Ten over the variation to her contract and notes that “all looks fine although we would like to further clarify the wardrobe component moving forward”.
“There is obviously a requirement for this clothing to be used on air and as that has been reduced, Lisa doesn’t want to lose the benefit,’’ Mr Fordham writes.
“Lisa certainly doesn’t want to be difficult but would like to see how we can come to an agreement on how to handle this moving forward?”
On December 2, 2022, Network Ten’s Vice-President Legal & Corporate Affairs Stuart Thomas again wrote to Ms Wilkinson’s agent Nick Fordham over her clothing allowance.
“I can confirm that the proposed reduction of the wardrobe allowance from $100k to $40k per annum is uncontroversial,’’ Mr Thomas wrote.
But Network Ten lawyers subsequently informed her agent in writing that any clothes purchased under the reduced $40,000 deal needed to be stored at Channel Ten while she remained off air.
“I note that, as provided in clause 7(i), clothing and/or accessories purchased remain the property of N10 and will need to remain on N10 premises,’’ Mr Thomas said.
“You will appreciate that this requirement is to ensure that neither N10 nor Lisa is in breach of applicable taxation law requirements.
“Accordingly, this requirement will continue to apply prospectively such that, practically, reimbursement for clothing and accessories will occur following delivery of those purchases to N10’s wardrobe department for custodianship (and, as required, internal and external audit).”
The new emails and texts were published by the Federal Court on Friday after Ms Wilkinson emerged victorious in her fight with her employer over who would pay her personal legal costs which are estimated to be up to $2 million.
The exact quantum Ten will be forced to pay of the total legal bill is yet to be determined.
The emails reveal the TV star’s “Employment Agreement remains the same and in force until 31 December 2024” — that is she would be paid regardless of not appearing on air but her agent was in discussions over her clothing allowance following a variation to her contract.
In her affidavit, Ms Wilkinson has previously revealed she was dumped from The Project and revealed “how devastated I was at being taken off-air for several months and the lack of plans for me to return to air”.
“Ten was content to leave me isolated to take the sole blame for the Logies’ speech,” she said.
Ms Wilkinson’s actual salary is not detailed in the documents, under the employment contract struck after she left the Nine Network following an “equal pay” dispute over her salary package compared to Today show co-host Karl Stefanovic.
In an extract from her autobiography It Wasn’t Meant To Be Like This, Ms Wilkinson has previously claimed that towards the end of their decade-long run as co-hosts, Stefanovic struck a new deal that meant he would be earning $2 million - more than double what she was earning at the network.
Ms Wilkinson writes that the pay gap was “so off the charts that no-one would have believed it – and much bigger than that figure that had been conveniently leaked”.
But multiple sources familiar with the contract negotiations at the time later told news.com.au that while there was a longstanding pay gap between the two hosts, it was the other way around - with Ms Wilkinson being paid more than Stefanovic.
In previous documents released by the Federal Court Wilkinson also revealed she was worried a planned interview series to replace her job on The Project had come to nothing.
“What is Bev’s plan for the ‘interview series’ I am now contracted to do?” she wrote.
“Who will be EPing, what is the time slot, production budget, marketing budget...what calibre of interview subject does she envisage for the three episodes that will have any kind of ratings cut-through that such a short-lived ‘series’ would justify?”
In February, 2023, Network Ten’s Vice-President Legal & Corporate Affairs Stuart Thomas wrote to Ten’s CEO over a “minor amendment” to the variation letter by extending the requirement that Network 10 will arrange and pay for business class international travel so that the requirement also applies to business class for domestic travel for work.
“TEN agrees to arrange, book and pay for all return Business Class travel for the Employee from any location internationally to the production location of each Interview Program,’’ the letter states.
Originally published as Lisa Wilkinson’s $100,000-a-year clothing allowance
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