Lisa Wilkinson praised as ‘warrior’ as her rumoured $1.7 million-a-year contract with Channel Ten ends

Lisa Wilkinson has been praised as a “warrior” by one of her old colleagues after revealing her lucrative TV gig had officially ended.

Lisa Wilkinson has been praised as “a warrior” by one of her former co-hosts on The Project after she marked the end of her employment with Channel Ten after two years off air.

The broadcaster has officially called time on her time at the network after a tumultuous period in her professional life after she wrapped up her contract over New Years.

It included tensions with network executives over the legal fallout from her Logies speech that ultimately delayed the criminal trial of Bruce Lehrmann, being sued for defamation over the Brittany Higgins interview and a two-year period of “gardening leave” when she did not appear on air.

“My time at Channel Ten has officially drawn to a close (and yes, the last couple of years have been pretty challenging), but there were still plenty of good times,’’ she told her followers on Instagram.

“Here’s to 2025, and new beginnings.x️.”

Her former co-host Peter Helliar then dived into the comments section praising her work in the Brittany Higgins interview. The pair announced their exit from The Project as part of a mass exodus in late 2022.

“Have only great things to say about you LW,’’ he wrote.

“You’re a warrior. Like I’ve said you, you brought a significant, important news story to the Australian public. All my & family’s love to yours and will see you soon.”

Lisa Wilkinson’s contract with Channel Ten has come to an end. Pictured with former The Project co-host Hamish Macdonald. Picture: Ten

Fight over legal bills continues

While Channel Ten will now stop paying Wilkinson’s rumoured $1.7 million paycheck after two years off air, the fight over her legal bills remains unresolved.

Justice Michael Lee dismissed Mr Lehrmann’s lawsuit last year after finding, on the balance of probabilities, he had raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019.

Ms Wilkinson is separately seeking about $1.8m from Network 10 after she sought outside legal representation, with a referee appointed to determine what costs are subject to indemnity.

Ultimately, Justice Lee agreed to relist the matter in February, noting that he was “not going to sit here and do the arithmetic” and that the lawyers were not prepared for legal argument.

Ms Wilkinson was represented in court by high-profile defamation barrister Sue Sue Chrysanthou SC, who she elected to hire outside of the legal defence team employed by Network 10.

Former Ten colleague Peter Helliar described Wilkinson as a “warrior”. Picture: Instagram

‘Targeted toxicity’ claims

Lisa Wilkinson quit The Project in November, 2022 citing the “targeted toxicity” of some in the media towards her.

“The last six months have not been easy,” she told viewers of the Channel Ten panel show at the time. “And the relentless, targeted toxicity by some sections of the media has taken a toll not just on me but on people I love.

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not above criticism. Far from it. I’m human, and I don’t always get it right. None of us do. But by god I’ve tried. I’ve given this job everything I have.”

It later emerged that her agent wanted Network Ten to ensure she hosted the coronation of King Charles and interviewed A-list celebrities including Michelle Obama to “soften the blow” of being dumped by The Project.

Agent Nick Fordham’s emails with Ten’s CEO Beverley McGarvey were published by the Federal Court detailing the wrangling behind the scenes after she was “removed” from The Project.

At the time she stood down on full pay in November 2022, she was also given a reduced clothing allowance of $40,000 - down from $100,000 a year.

“This is disappointing but we accept the decision Network Ten has made on this,” her agent Nick Fordham wrote in November, 2022 in relation to The Project “removal”.

He accepted the reduced clothing allowance given she was not on air and said she would not “abuse the privilege”.

“The fallout from the Higgins trial has been distressing and unnecessarily enduring. Lisa has felt all but abandoned on multiple occasions when, as you know, she was simply performing her employment duties to The Project and Network Ten – always to the highest professional standard,” he wrote.

“As you have acknowledged, everything Lisa has done, at every stage, was signed off and encouraged by The Project, Network Ten and Network Ten’s legal team. “And right now, Lisa is the only one who is publicly paying the price.”

Ms Wilkinson posted a montage of photos on Instagram after announcing her contract had ended, including this shot with Olivia Newton-John (right) and daughter Chloe Lattanzi. Picture: Instagram

“Damaging lies” told about broadcaster

The agent observed it was “deeply unfair, that this whole imbroglio began because of the sheer excellence of her ground-breaking interview with Ms Higgins, which won this peer-voted Logie in the first place.”

“Damaging lies have been endlessly repeated about her in the press, often by the same commentators, with no known attempts from Network Ten to background those journalists in order to limit that damage,” he said.

“We have heard a lot about a “crisis comms team” working behind the scenes on the situation, but as yet, despite repeated requests, neither Lisa nor I have been introduced to them, let alone been able to engage with them.”

Ms Wilkinson has never appeared on screen again since November, 2022 and no producer was ever been appointed by Ten.

Wilkinson shared this image out reporting on the road in London. Picture: Instagram

Lisa Wilkinson “distressed” over damaging leaks

Last year it emerged that Lisa Wilkinson was so distressed in the wake of damaging leaks over her six-hour interview with Ms Higgins that Ten Network CEO Beverley McGarvey feared for her “state of mind” and wanted her to have mental health support.

The bitter battle behind the scenes over Ms Wilkinson’s secret fears she was “isolated” by her employer, the hiring of security to protect the television host and her decision to hire top defamation silk Sue Chrysanthou SC has been detailed in new emails and texts tendered in the Federal Court.

Network 10’s head of litigation Tasha Smithies, who gave evidence in the Federal Court, detailed the negotiations over legal counsel in her own affidavit tendered to the court.

Ms Smithies revealed that Ms Higgins’ lawyer, Leon Zwier, was bitterly opposed to Ms Wilkinson hiring Ms Chrysanthou, a top defamation silk.

Mr Zwier, a partner at Arnold Bloch Leibler, previously had dealings with Ms Chrysanthou when she represented Geoffrey Rush in his defamation case and Mr Zwier represented actor Eryn Jean Norvill.

Mr Rush won the case.

In her affidavit, first reported on by Sharri Markson and Sky News, Ms Smithies noted that Ms Wilkinson’s affidavit claimed there was a “weaponisation of an alleged rape victim in this correspondence put forward by Ms McGarvey”.

“I assume that Ms Wilkinson is referring to an email from Mr Zwier that Ms McGarvey forwarded to Mr Fordham and Ms Wilkinson on 15 March 2023 which stated the following,’’ she wrote.

“For the avoidance of any other misunderstandings, Brittany has instructed me not to assist lawyers and counsel currently retained by Lisa Wilkinson to defend civil claims commenced by Lehrmann against Lisa Wilkinson,’’ Mr Zwier wrote.

“I am not prepared to work with Lisa’s current senior counsel, under any circumstances. And the more Brittany is required to deal with differing lawyers, the worse it is for her to manage the civil trial processes, to the detriment of all those defending Lehrmann’s civil claims.

“If Lisa Wilkinson subsequently elects to retain the same lawyers as Ten then the process will be smoother, more orderly and manageable.”

Ms Wilkinson is seeking about $1.8m from Network 10 after she sought outside legal representation. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jane Dempster

On June 7, 2023, Network Ten CEO Beverley McGarvey forwarded Ms Smithies an email that she sent to Nick Fordham, Ms Wilkinson’s celebrity agent.

“I have just spoken to Lisa to check in to see how she was given how challenging it has been for her this week,’’ Ms McGarvey said.

“As you are well aware she is really not in a great place, and I hope she is taking some professional mental health care? Let me know if she is not currently obtaining ongoing professional support, and we can assist in providing her access to our independent, confidential support services.

“She mentioned her legal fees, and it seems that she is alarmed by the amount.

“We objected at the outset to Lisa’s choice of counsel but have nevertheless confirmed that we will reimburse Lisa for those legal costs incurred by her that Ten is required to reimburse. As you know, these arrangements are in discussion between external lawyers who are best placed to resolve the full extent of Ten’s obligations.”

Ms Wilkinson was particularly distressed by the Spotlight story on Channel 7 that included hours of leaked audio that was provided to police and lawyers in the criminal trial but never tendered.

“I explained that we are doing all we can do within the confines of the law to deal with the situation around the Spotlight story.’’ Ms McGarvey wrote.

“I am not sure she was across that. Maybe she was but has a lot on her plate. A point of understandable consternation is the further reporting by those sections of the Australian media that are hostile to Lisa who are continuing to publish derogatory stories off the back of the Spotlight program.

“Understandably, she is very upset by that, but of course, we simply cannot make them stop. She made a point that we didn’t tell her when she was going to be on the front of The Australian – but we are not aware, in advance of publication, when these stories will break or the content of such stones.

“I just wanted to let you know we are concerned for her state of mind and appreciate this is difficult for her, noting that Ten’s lawyers are taking all the actions in response to the fallout from the Spotlight story that are legally available given the restraints of the current defamation proceedings.”

Ms Wilkinson told the court that after she was axed from The Project she was promised an interview special, but it never eventuated.