The Project host Lisa Wilkinson set to spill the dirt on her TODAY exit in upcoming memoir
The Project host Lisa Wilkinson has confirmed that she is working on a tell-all memoir about her time in magazines and her now infamous departure from Today.
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She’s one of the best known names and faces in Australian television, and now Lisa Wilkinson is set to spill the beans on her life in front of the camera.
60-year-old Wilkinson, who lives in Sydney but travels to Melbourne each week to film The Project, has reportedly been using the extra time Victoria’s travel ban has provided to write the book, which is set to cover her time in print media and her move to television.
The Australian reports that no area of Wilkinson’s career will be off limits – including her 10 year stint co-hosting TODAY with Karl Stefanovic, and her shock departure from the then top-rating breakfast show in 2017.
At the time, insider sources claimed negotiations broke down after Channel 9 refused to pay Wilkinson the same salary as her male co-star, with Wilkinson later saying, “Maybe my biggest crime is knowing my value. When you’re a woman, sometimes people don’t like it.”
Stefanovic reportedly earned $2 million per year at the time, while Wilkinson only took home $1.1 million. Channel 9 reportedly upped their offer to $1.8 million per year, but refused to meet parity.
Wilkinson broke the news of her unexpected departure on Twitter, telling fans of the show her resignation was effective immediately. Hours later, she tweeted again, announcing her move to Channel 10 to join The Project, where she has served as weekend host ever since.
Rumours of the state of the relationship between Wilkinson and Stefanovic – particularly during his very public separation from Cassandra Thorburn – have swirled ever since, with many suggesting the once close colleagues now barely spoke at all.
Wilkinson, who has been married to author Peter FitzSimons for 27 years and has three children, did not attend Stefanovic’s Mexican wedding to Jasmine Yarborough, and in March told Stellar she hasn’t seen her former co-host for a couple of years, saying, “the timing just hasn’t worked.”
When Stefanovic took a sabbatical from TODAY, Wilkinson posted a gallery of their years together to Instagra writing, “Wishing Karl Stefanovic all the best. Because when it was good, it was great.”
Harper Collins publisher Catherine Milne confirmed the deal, saying they were “beyond thrilled” to publish Wilkinson’s memoir.
“We know the book is going to be a standout success,” Milne said.
Prior to making the move to television, Wilkinson spent years editing Dolly and Cleo magazines under Kerry Packer, and famously put a then unknown Nicole Kidman on the cover.