Why Lisa Wilkinson was missing from The Sunday Project desk

Lisa Wilkinson has explained why she was missing from the desk on The Sunday Project, forcing Hamish Macdonald to step in and cover.

Lisa Wilkinson has explained why she was missing from The Sunday Project desk.

Wilkinson was nowhere to be seen at the start of Sunday night’s episode with Q&A host Hamish Macdonald running the show from the desk instead.

But Wilkinson did eventually appear on the show via zoom from her bedroom inside her Sydney home.

“I’m five days into isolation,” Wilkinson said.

“I got a bit caught between NSW and Victoria so I’m doing it from my bedroom tonight.”

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Lisa Wilkinson in her bedroom.

On July 8, the NSW government made it compulsory for NSW residents returning home from Victoria to self-isolate for 14 days.

Anyone who fails to comply with the rules could face up to six months prison, a fine of $11,000, or both.

Wilkinson could have had the night off, but she chose to appear on The Sunday Project via zoom so she could interview one of her favourite singers, Daryl Braithwaite.

“When I found out that Daryl was going to be on the show tonight, I insisted in being involved,” Wilkinson said.

Watch @Lisa_Wilkinson fangirl over Aussie music legend Daryl Braithwaite as she quizzes him on how he really felt about their duet on breakfast tv all those years ago 😂 pic.twitter.com/Y17hWLY38I

— The Project (@theprojecttv) July 12, 2020

Wilkinson, and the rest of The Sunday Project co-hosts, interviewed Braithwaite about his new song, Love Songs.

But Tommy Little also asked the singer to clarify something about his most iconic song, The Horses, which the comedian had always assumed was actually just called Horses.

“I’ve seen you perform when I’ve been drunk so many times and I’ve heard people yelling out, ‘Horses, play Horses!’ No one has ever yelled out ‘Play The Horses!’” Little said.

Braithwaite joked: “Victorians are very good, they yell out ‘The Horses’ but NSW people, I’m not sure.”

Before the interview ended, Wilkinson reminisced about the time Braithwaite surprised her on the Today show in 2017 and serenaded her with The Horses.

Lisa Wilkinson and Daryl Braithwaite on the Today show.

After airing a snippet from the segment, Wilkinson said, “Shortly after I sang that on breakfast TV with you, I left there”, referring to when she jumped ship from Channel 9 to Channel 10.

“The kiss of death,” Braithwaite jokingly replied. “Well, this could be the end of you on The Project as well.”