‘Completely awkward’: Lisa Wilkinson’s worst interview ever

TEN’S new recruit Lisa Wilkinson interviewed dozens of people during her decade at Today — but there’s one she remembers for all the wrong reasons.

LISA Wilkinson has made an abrupt departure from the Today show, after 10 years hosting alongside Karl Stefanovic.

The popular presenter dropped the double bombshell on Monday that she has quit Channel Nine’s breakfast program effective immediately, revealing a short time later that she’d be joining Ten’s The Project in a senior hosting and editorial role from January 2018.

The shock move comes just months after Today put on a huge celebration to mark Wilkinson’s 10 year anniversary on the show.

In honour of the milestone, news.com.au spoke with her in May about her best and worst memories behind the desk.

Wilkinson revealed that while she’d conducted hundreds of interviews on Today, it was one with a former US Vice President that she’ll never forget — for all the wrong reasons.

Awkward ... Al Gore was stumped by Wilko’s unexpected loo roll question. Pic: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

“Al Gore came on the program around the time that he was promoting An Inconvenient Truth about climate change,” she told news.com.au.

The segment was off to a shaky start, with the PR team behind the influential political figure demanding Wilkinson and Stefanovic submit their questions beforehand — the “first and only time” that had ever happened on the show.

But they agreed, and Gore turned up on the day ... along with a huge security detail, described by Wilkinson as “extremely full-on”.

“I tried really hard to just stick to the script but about halfway through, the interview was so boring,” she explained. “And I just thought ‘I can’t keep doing this’.”

It was at that point Wilkinson veered off script, asking the environmental awareness campaigner about his thoughts on recycling — specifically, recycled toilet paper.

“He looked at me like I was from another planet, and asked me to repeat the question,” she said.

“It was like he didn’t even know what it was — he just had no idea what I was talking about it ... it was completely awkward.”

After that, Wilkinson had learned her lesson.

“Never interview anyone who tells you that you can only stick to the questions.”

Here are some of her other memorable moments during her time on Today.

ONE-ON-ONE WITH THOMAS ZINN

“I spoke with Tori Johnson’s partner Thomas Zinn, just two days after the Lindt Cafe siege came to its tragic end.

“Especially now with the findings about to be handed down, you think about how all of those families are coping, because it’s all still very raw for all of them.

“He’s a beautiful man. That was the most emotional moment I’ve ever had on the show.”

PRIVATE TOUR WITH JOHN TRAVOLTA

“I got the opportunity to interview John Travolta, and he took me up on his jet for a personal tour of Sydney. He was just a gentleman, the consummate professional. He wants to make you feel at ease, and he’s a lot of fun — it’s one of those moments where you’re like ‘this is not happening to me!’ ... I still pinch myself.”

THE ACCIDENTALLY EXPLICIT ‘CURLING’

“[One of my most awkward moments] was getting out from behind the desk when some bright spark decided Karl and I should test out the Winter Olympics Wii that had just come out in honour of how popular curling had become.

“I was about halfway through when I realised what it must have looked like to viewers at home. It’s only when you see the video that you realise what was going on ... It’s one of the two videos from the 10 years I’ve been on the show that’s gone viral.”

(See below — you’ll get it).

THE “LONG STABBY THING”

“Most of the risque stuff for our show happens between five-thirty and 6am because we have a tendency to think no one’s watching.

“And we were having a conversation about security ... and Karl asked us: ‘What’s your long stabby thing for if someone breaks in?’

“And Georgi [Gardner, former Today newsreader] says: ‘Well, Tim’s my long stabby thing.’ For three or four minutes, there was nothing but awkwardness ... I think that’s the most popular video from the show from the last ten years.”

INTERVIEWING SCREEN LEGEND SOPHIA LOREN

“I was really looking forward to interviewing her, but I don’t know if she just didn’t like me ... I just don’t think she wanted to be interviewed in the end. It was really disappointing because I was really looking forward to meeting her and hearing her stories.

“I kept trying to jolly her on, maybe she was having a bad day ... But that didn’t go so well.”

THE VON TRAPP REUNION

“I got together all the kids from The Sound of Music for their 50th anniversary. To interview all of them, having grown up watching The Sound of Music myself — that was an absolute treat.”