Frontrunner to replace Leigh Sales as 7:30 host

The 7:30 host will soon step down after 12 years in the role - and her likely replacement is a popular choice with viewers.

7:30 Chief Political Correspondent Laura Tingle has emerged as the frontrunner to take over the show’s hosting duties, after Leigh Sales announced she was stepping down yesterday.

Sales made the shock announcement during Thursday night’s episode of the long-running ABC current affairs program, revealing she’d leave the desk later this year after 12 years as host.

The Guardian reports today that Tingle is the “likely frontrunner” to take over the hosting role – and she certainly has the support of many viewers:

Leigh Sales has been a class act for more than a decade, asking hard questions and taking no nonsense from dissembling politicians. Laura Tingle must be frontrunner to take the chair and she will be terrific. https://t.co/FykWSm2eiP

— Stuart Rintoul (@stuart_rintoul) February 10, 2022

In my perfect world, Laura Tingle would take on 7.30, Leigh Sales would get the sort of investment in foreign affairs the ABC has been giving Stan Grant (she shines in these interviews) and Stan would take deep dives into Australian rural & regional issues incl health & education

— Ms D 🌈 (@msdwrites) February 10, 2022

Dear @abc730
Now that Leigh Sales has announced her departure, please could you appoint @latingle as her replacement? Thank you so much 🤞🏼

— Ali (@AliGoneski) February 10, 2022

Laura Tingle should succeed Leigh Sales, Laura tells it like it is,,, https://t.co/RFM6YCkjmV

— Shaun Newman - sewer rat Democratic Socialist (@ShaunNewman2) February 10, 2022

Leigh Sales bales ... does this mean what I'm thinking? That the most excellent, the people's favourite ... @latingle is in the chair full time? @abc730

— Emily Tripkey (@gaelialight) February 10, 2022

The Australian reports that Insiders host David Speers is the other frontrunner to take on the role. The 47-year-old was the longtime political editor at Sky News Australia before moving to the ABC to take over the reins of Insiders from Barrie Cassidy in 2018.

An accomplished journalist and author, Tingle, 60, has been with the ABC since 2018 and regularly fills in as 7:30 host when Sales is absent.

She’s also made headlines in recent years due to her relationship with New Zealand actor Sam Neill. The low-key couple were reported to have gone their separate ways in early 2021 – but were then spotted at an event together some months later.

Tingle frequently steps in as 7:30 host.

At an event with partner Sam Neill. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty

Tingle was full of praise for her colleague after Sales’ announcement, tweeting: “This is going to take a little while for @abc730 colleagues to process. @leighsales you are a class act, the most supportive of colleagues and a bloody great journo. As one of a handful of people who has had the remotest glimpse of what the job involves I am in awe.”

Sales’ on-air farewell

After 12 years as host, Sales will bow out later this year.

Speaking on 7.30 during Thursday’s episode, Sales revealed she would be leaving the desk later this year “once the federal election is over”.

“There‘s nothing wrong, other than I just feel a strong sense of it being time to pass the baton to the next runner in the race and to take a break,” she said.

“At the end of an election cycle feels like a good time to move on to something new at the ABC. I hope it‘s been obvious that I’ve always approached this job with one goal – and that is to ask frank questions of people in power, without fear or favour, that a fair-minded, reasonable person with some common sense watching at home might like to ask if they were sitting in my position.”

Since taking up the role in 2010, Sales has covered five Australian prime ministers, presented nine federal budgets and covered two, and now soon to be three, federal elections.

“I‘ve tried to shut down and call out bulls**t, hold powerful people to account, expose lies, incompetence and exaggeration in all political parties and all issues and present facts even when they’re unpopular or inconvenient,” she continued.

“I have truly tried my absolute hardest on behalf of you at home to do that every single time I‘ve sat at the desk. Anchoring 7.30 has been the most amazing job and I’ll never stop being grateful for the opportunities it’s given me.”