Only 198,000 people tuned into the start of Sunday Project this week

It was another embarrassing blow for Channel 10’s flagship current affairs program The Sunday Project this week as it dropped to its worst ratings. Host Lisa Wilkinson defended the show, pointing out one thing.

It was another embarrassing blow for Channel 10’s flagship current affairs program The Sunday Project this week.

The show championed by Lisa Wilkinson, Hamish Macdonald and attracted less than 200,000 viewers when the show started on the weekend, a sad achievement according on one media insider.

At the start of the program just 198,000 people tuned in, while half an hour later the number had jumped to 326,000.

While the Project shows have nabbed big name interviews, they have struggled to reflect it in the ratings. Supplied: Ten

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Yesterday Channel 10 was attempting to hose down suggestion that the show’s ratings were a problem.

“It’s great to see more and more people discovering The Sunday Project as reflected in its solid audience growth. Packed full of all the latest news and entertainment, the show attracts the big names and, as we’ve always said, delivers news differently — it’s a nice news alternative to kick-off the week,” a spokeswoman for the show said.

Sunday Project scored a number of high-profile interviews including Serena Williams days after her blow-up at Wimbledon. Picture: Supplied

Wilkinson also chatted with retired soccer superstar David Beckham when he was in town for the Invictus Games. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Ten also got the scoop from Nick Cummins after his controversial Bachelor finale. Picture: Supplied

While the spokeswoman pointed out that the show is up 17% on last year’s numbers’s, one well-place media expert said with Wilkinson at the helm and the big name interviews, the numbers should be higher.

“It is not a good look for the show which somehow gets huge interviews, bigger names than the weekday shows,” the insider said.

“It has been a pattern of low numbers in recent weeks with the Serena Williams chat, the Honey Badger chat and now this.

“Dropping below 200,000 is significant in the industry. As much as Ten would be outwardly pretending it wasn’t an issue, behind the scenes they would not be happy.”

Sunday Project host Lisa Wilkinson has defended the show saying numbers were up since her arrival to the show. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Wilkinson personally defended the show’s numbers when chatting to Confidential, pointing to the fact that the numbers of the Sunday show were up since her arrival.

“There are very few programs on Australian TV who can say that their numbers are up. I do not understand why those reports are out there. I cannot worry about that. I worry about putting the best possible show together every Sunday night,” she said.

This week Weekend Sunrise and Weekend Today both managed to out rate the heavily publicised show.