‘Time to pass the baton’: Leigh Sales to leave ABC’s 7.30 program

Leigh Sales will leave the ABC’s flagship current affairs program 7.30, stepping down as presenter from late June after more than 10 years in the job.

She will remain with the ABC in a new role and will lead the broadcaster’s federal election coverage.

Leigh Sales will depart ABC’s 7.30 program in June.Credit: ABC

Announcing the decision at the end of Thursday’s program, Sales said the conclusion of an election cycle felt like a good time to move on to something new.

“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.

“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.

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

“It is an incredibly important program, there is no other show that does what 7.30 does night after night. I know the program is going to keep going from strength to strength, as it always has.”

Sales was appointed the anchor in December 2010 and her first edition of the program was in March 2011.

She has grilled prime ministers, premiers and world leaders, and been the face of ABC’s coverage of major primetime news events like the election of US president Donald Trump.

ABC managing director David Anderson said Sales was an exceptional journalist who was respected by audiences and all sides of politics.

"Leigh’s integrity, intellect and courage are evident in everything she does," he said.

“Our audiences have always seen Leigh as a journalist and broadcaster who challenges her subjects and asks the questions we all want answers to. I’m really looking forward to the next stage of her career here at the ABC.”

Last year, Sales hit out at trolls who criticised her coverage of the coronavirus pandemic involving the Victorian government. “Thanks to the Victorian journalists who asked questions on these matters, despite the intense bullying on this platform,” Sales tweeted.

Fill-in host, Laura Tingle, last month dismissed suggestions made on Twitter that she should take over from Sales.

“Thanks, but no you don’t. My day job is funner,” Tingle tweeted.

“And I am in awe of what Leigh Sales does day after day amongst quite a horrible environment of social media.”

Sales joined the ABC in Brisbane in 1995 as a junior reporter and went on to hold senior roles, including being NSW state political reporter and national security correspondent.

She has also written three books, contributed to a wide range of major publications and co-hosts the podcast Chat 10, Looks 3 with Annabel Crabb.

ABC News acting director Gavin Fang said the broadcaster would start thinking about Sales’ replacement “down the track”.

“We would have loved to have her stay in that role, but it’s in Leigh’s nature to seek fresh challenges,” he said.

7.30 executive producer Justin Stevens said: “Leigh espouses the finest virtues of public interest journalism.

“Year after year she has carried the weight and responsibility of fronting 7.30 with fairness, independence, impartiality and a forthright questioning of those in power without fear or favour – and Australian democracy is the better for it.

“We’ll treasure the next four months before she starts a new chapter at the ABC.”

According to the ABC, 7.30’s average audience rose 3 per cent in 2021 to almost 1 million total viewers per episode with a 13 per cent share of metro audiences in its timeslot and 12.5 per cent of regional audiences.

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