The Project’s Carrie Bickmore rumoured to be ‘pissed off’ she’ll share the desk with Lisa Wilkinson

WITH Lisa Wilkinson announced as a host on The Project’s new Sunday night show on a rumoured $2.3 million deal, Confidential hears Carrie Bickmore is less than impressed.

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WHEN Lisa Wilkinson was announced as a new host on The Project’s new Sunday night show, controversially defecting from Channel Nine to Channel Ten in a rumoured $2.3 million deal, thoughts ­immediately turned to Carrie Bickmore.

How would the show’s star female and the only host to ­remain on the panel since the program’s launch in 2009 feel about sharing the desk with a better paid, bigger name star?

Host of The Project’s Carrie Bickmore is rumoured to be less than impressed with what has gone down. Picture: Richard Dobson

Although Bickmore was all smiles on social media, quickly congratulating Wilkinson on her television and pay deal coup, and The Project PR team attempted to hose down any tensions, Confidential hears that behind the scenes the 36-year-old is less than impressed with the news.

Sources close to Bickmore said the Gold Logie-winning presenter is “pissed off” at Wilkinson being shipped in to sit alongside her.

At the centre of her scorn must surely be her comparably paltry pay packet of a ­rumoured $500,000, some four times less than Wilkinson’s much-hyped deal.

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Lisa Wilkinson is rumoured to have signed a $2.3 million contract to Channel 10. Picture: Justin Lloyd

While Bickmore recently signed a new deal worth to be rumoured $500,000. Picture: Andrew Tauber

Bickmore locked in her deal just a few weeks ago, ­before the Wilkinson discussions even started.

That now rules Bickmore out for a jump to Nine to ­replace Wilkinson at Today.

Confidential reckons Bickmore would have been the perfect candidate to keep Karl Stefanovic in line.

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Bickmore’s social media followers would have been none the wiser yesterday, with Bickmore heaping praise on Wilkinson. “All class Lisa,” she wrote.

“Congrats on an ­incredible stint at Today babe. Hope you enjoyed your sleep in and can’t wait to see your beaming face on @theprojecttv soon,” before adding the hashtags “#smart #funny #genuine”.

Bickmore posted this picture onto Instagram to congratulate Lisa. Picture: Instagram/@bickmorecarrie

The big move has generated a motza of positive publicity in recent days — received particularly well with women — and may threaten to overshadow Bickmore’s consistent, steady command of the ship.