Hamish Macdonald makes abrupt ABC departure, Q+A to seek new host
The host of ABC’s political chatfest show Q+A has announced his surprise departure from the public broadcaster after just 18 months.
The host of ABC’s political chatfest show Q+A has made an abrupt exit from the public broadcaster after just 18 months.
Hamish Macdonald hasn’t hosted the show since June 24 - the only time in the past seven episodes - and has left many within the industry questioning his sudden no-shows on the program.
But on Monday the ABC issued a statement that but an end to the mystery, announcing that the 40-year-old was leaving the broadcaster.
“I am enormously grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given to host Q+A and to work alongside wonderful, talented and passionate people,” said Macdonald in the statement.
“I am really proud of what we’ve achieved together during these extraordinary times.
“I’d also like to thank the incredible Q+A audience for all they contribute to this program each week. It is, after all, their show.”
Within hours of the announcement by ABC, Macdonald’s photo and reference that he was the host of the show was removed from the ABC’s Q+A page online.
Macdonald took over from host of Q+A in February last year, replacing Tony Jones after 12 years spearheading the show.
The whereabouts of where Macdonald lands next remain unknown and there was no fancy farewell for him either.
Media monitoring services show Macdonald last appeared on the ABC breakfast show on July 2 doing a live cross and presenting the news on ABC24 on July 7.
His sudden departure and no send off is in stark contrast to what the ABC did for breakfast sports reporter Paul Kennedy who was given a glowing on-screen farewell with cake and special tributes earlier this month on his exit from the program.
Breakfast hosts Lisa Millar and Michael Rowland wished Kennedy well despite him staying employed by the broadcaster as a sports reporter.
In the statement on Monday Macdonald said, “I’m really excited to be moving on to a new opportunity and working more with the ABC in the future.”
Q+A recorded its highest ratings of the year last week with 354,000 viewers across the five major capital cities but it was in Macdonald’s absence – the July 15 episode was hosted by Melbourne ABC breakfast radio host Virginia Trioli.
The show’s ratings sank to their lowest-ever levels this year under Macdonald’s lead, drawing just 224,000 viewers across the five capitals on April 22.
Q+A also shifted from Monday nights to Thursday nights at 8.30pm this year and has been hit with troubled ratings since.
The program will now be hosted by a rotation of presenters.
ABC’s director of news Gaven Morris thanked Macdonald for the “incredible job he has done”.
“At one stage during the lockdown he was presenting a live panel discussion program that wasn’t allowed to have either an audience or panellists in the studio,” he said in a statement. “His experience and versatility came to the fore.
“Hamish has long been a part of the ABC family and we look forward to continuing that relationship when opportunities arise.”
Macdonald still occasionally appears on Ten’s show, The Project.
He was contacted for comment but did not respond.
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