The Project hosts Waleed Aly and Lisa Wilkinson absent as Carrie Bickmore steps away

The week signature host Carrie Bickmore stepped away from The Project, its two other hosts were also mysteriously absent. Where are Waleed Aly and Lisa Wilkinson?

Carrie Bickmore’s departure from The Project for a two-month stint in Europe wasn’t the only host to step away from the Channel 10 show last week.

Signature hosts Waleed Aly and Lisa Wilkinson were also absent from their duties forcing producers to use a revolving door of hosts to fill their positions.

Observers questioned why three of the main hosts were absent during the ratings period - a scenario considered less than ideal for a prime time offering.

This also meant Aly, who usually co-hosts with Bickmore during the week, wasn’t there to farewell her.

A source told Confidential Channel 10 was hoping to keep their absences under wraps because of Bickmore’s departure, while some rumours surfaced suggesting the two had Covid.

When contacted, Channel 10 said Wilkinson was on planned annual leave and will return to the desk on Sunday 10 April., while Aly was due to return Monday April 4.

Waleed Aly and Lisa Wilkinson were last seen on The Project on March 25, 2022.

Waleed and Wilkinson last hosted the show together on March 25, where they were broadcasting from Western Australia.

Since then among those on the panel include Rachel Corbett, Jan Fran, Hugh Riminton, Michael Hing, Chris Bath and Jamila Rizvi.

On Thursday night in particular the show went to air with an all-male panel of Dr Chris Brown, Hamish MacDonald, Tony Armstrong, Peter Helliar which caught viewers’ attention.

Viewers noticed the all-male panel of The Project on Thursday March 31.

“Have you forgotten half your audience are women??? What’s going on?”, wrote a viewer.

Georgie Tunny and Chrissie Swan have been called into replace Bickmore, who is the only original presenter of The Project, which launched in 2009.

Chrissie Swan and Georgie Tunny replace Carrie Bickmore on The Project.

Former Studio 10 executive producer Rob McKnight said while Bickmore’s absence will be short-term, anything is possible.

“I know Channel 10 have been dreading the day Carrie Bickmore would leave The Project,” he said.

“For a long time it was believed she would jump for a radio career where the money is much better, so Carrie deciding to leave for the UK would have come as a surprise.

“While I think she has all the best intentions in the world of coming back, things can change very quickly. For her it’s perfect — she has The Project as a backup plan if things don’t work out in the UK.”

Meanwhile, Channel 10’s morning show Studio 10 also had a variety of different hosts last week as Sarah Harris was off with Covid.