What does Lisa Wilkinson’s big move mean for The Project?

LISA Wilkinson is “thrilled” and one of her new colleagues is already predicting this is the role to finally land her a Gold Logie.

LAST night’s shock announcement that Lisa Wilkinson had left her prize position as co-host of Nine’s Today program was swiftly followed by another surprise move — she’d flown the coop to Ten, where she’ll join the team on The Project.

“Lisa will join the team of TEN’s award-winning news and current affairs program, The Project, in a hosting role. She will work alongside The Project’s hosts Carrie Bickmore, Waleed Aly and Peter Helliar, as well as hosting The Sunday Project,” a Ten media release announced last night.

“The Project has recently been expanded to six nights a week, Sunday to Friday, at 6.30pm.”

Ten’s entertainment reporter Angela Bishop confimed that Wilkinson would appear on The Project for two weeknight shows each week.

Further “collaborations” between Wilkinson and her new network are set to be announced in the coming months.

Wilkinson’s new colleagues were quick to voice their support — and the Today host herself said she was “thrilled” with the move.

Welcome to @theprojecttv @Lisa_Wilkinson!! We are thrilled to tiny bits! You’re odds on to become my third co-host to take Gold Logie!! 😂👌

— Peter Helliar 🌈🌥 (@pjhelliar) October 16, 2017

Welcome to the family, @Lisa_Wilkinson! Can't wait to see you at #TheProjectTV desk!

— The Project (@theprojecttv) October 16, 2017

Wilkinson will be joining a flagship program that’s produced two Gold Logie wins in recent years, with Bickmore and Aly taking out television’s top honour in 2015 and 2016 respectively. Bickmore is the only permanent member of the panel to have been with the show since its inception in 2009, and since January this year has juggled it with a new role as co-host of the afternoon Hit Network radio show Carrie & Tommy.

Lisa Wilkinson made a big move overnight.

While Wilkinson now has her mornings back — Today airs live at 5:30am every weekday — she’ll face a regular interstate commute in her new role, with The Project filmed at Ten’s Melbourne studio each weeknight. She currently resides in Sydney with her husband, author Peter FitzSimons.

With an impressive media career spanning almost four decades, Wilkinson will be 58 when she starts on The Project in January next year, making her closer in age to the program’s resident “grumpy old man” panellist Steve Price (62) than hosts Aly (39) and Bickmore (36).

It’s an age gap that shock jock Kyle Sandilands pointed out on The Kyle and Jackie O Show this morning, as he and his co-host discussed the big media news.

Expect to see Lisa Wilkinson next to these two in 2018. Picture: Channel 10

“I like Lisa, but she’s not The Project host. It’s a youth show. I’m not saying she’s old ...” he said.

“I do think [the deal] is probably going to offer her something beyond that. When she goes to Channel 10, I’m sure there’s going to be more projects now with CBS owning them soon,” suggested Jackie O.

Fellow radio presenter Em Rusciano said: “Channel Nine, you have made a massive mistake. If I was an advertiser that signed on thinking I had Lisa Wilkinson behind my brand, I’d be pretty pissed off right now.”

She added on her show, The Em Rusciano Radio Show with Harley Breen on 1041 2DayFM: “But Channel Nine’s loss is Channel Ten’s gain, and good on Ten for jumping on it.”

Ten chief content officer Beverley McGarvey said Wilkinson was one of the “most-respected journalists and television presenters in Australia”.

“In a career that has spanned magazines, radio, television and digital media, Lisa has established herself as a leading figure in the Australian media industry,” she said.

The panel on Ten’s morning show Studio 10 discussed the shock move this morning, welcoming Wilkinson back to the network (she previously appeared as a panellist on advice show Beauty and the Beast back in the 1990s).

We're thrilled to welcome @Lisa_Wilkinson to the TEN family, but @ItaButtrose is wondering - will the centrefold return? #Studio10 pic.twitter.com/OVwDLyEs4R

— Studio 10 (@Studio10au) October 16, 2017

Joe Hildebrand dubbed the network defection “a masterfully executed coup, an excellent strike” that “took everybody by surprise”.

“She will fit in here amazingly,” said Angela Bishop.

Wilkinson herself appeared to drop a sly hint about her plans during a guest appearance on The Project several weeks ago.

As a former women’s magazine editor, the popular presenter was weighing in on the massive $4.56 million defamation settlement Bauer Media had been ordered to pay Rebel Wilson in September.

After Project host Peter Helliar asked Wilkinson what her co-host thought of the payout, she revealed they hadn’t discussed it, causing the panel to speculate that there was tension between the pair.

“No, no, that’s only because he’s hosting A Current Affair tonight. So we are having network wars right now ... I’ve gone for Channel Ten!” she said, raising her fist in the air.

“And we know which side you chose, Lisa — well chosen,” Helliar quipped.