Carrie Bickmore is leaving Channel 10 completely

When Carrie Bickmore announced she was leaving The Project after 13 years, she didn’t reveal a wider departure.

When Carrie Bickmore signs off on The Project on November 30, she won’t just be leaving the desk, she’s also exiting the network.

TV Tonight reported Bickmore will be leaving Channel 10 altogether after 17 years with the network. A spokesperson told TV Tonight: “Yes, Carrie is leaving 10, but we hope to work with her again.”

Bickmore’s departure from the network supercharges speculation she could be decamping to a rival TV station.

When she announced her intentions, Bickmore choked back tears as she said: “It’s been the hardest decision of my professional life to make this call, but it’s time for a new challenge.

“I’m going to miss my best mates on the desk, the job itself which is just so incredibly fulfilling, our wonderful viewers who’ve been on the journey over the last 13 years.

“It’s no secret this show has become a second home for me and I can’t be more thankful to everyone that has been involved on and off screen.

“I’m leaving at a time that I’m so happy to be here, which feels so confusing, but I just know it’s time, I know it’s right.”

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Carrie Bickmore announced earlier this month she was leaving The Project. Picture: Channel 10

She added on social media that she was looking forward to more family dinner time and watching The Project with “my PJs on and a wine in hand”.

There are several contenders to replace Bickmore on the desk, including the names on its regular roster of guest panellists such as Chrissie Swan, Georgie Tunny, Jan Fran and Suzie Youssef.

Bickmore joined Channel 10 initially on Rove Live, where she spent three years reading the news headlines. She was part of the original line-up of The Project when it launched in 2009 alongside Dave Hughes and Charlie Pickering.

The show was called The 7pm Project before it was rebranded to just The Project in 2011 when it was extended to an hour-long program starting at 6.30pm. Bickmore was the only remaining cast member of the original crew.

Bickmore is one of three high-profile departures this year.

Earlier in 2022, Leigh Sales vacated the hosting seat for ABC’s 7.30 after 11 years in the chair while Tracy Grimshaw is due to sign off from A Current Affair next month after 17 years.

Sales and Grimshaw both remain contracted to their networks, ABC and Channel 9 respectively.

Channel 10 has been contacted for comment.

Originally published as Carrie Bickmore is leaving Channel 10 completely