Carrie Bickmore has clapped back at reports she was “pissed off” with the news she would soon be sharing her panel at The Project with Lisa Wilkinson — for significantly less money.
Speaking with The Daily Telegraph, the brain cancer campaigner and mother-of-two said: “It is nice to have more women. To have another strong female voice, I couldn’t be happier about it.”
“I am great friends with Lisa,” the 36-year-old continued. “We spoke the night it happened and have been texting back and forth.”
She added: “Lisa is a class act, one of the women in the industry I’ve always respected and looked up to and often sought out for counsel in a way.”
Confidential previously reported that Carrie, who has worked on the news program for eight years, was “pissed off at Lisa being shipped in to sit alongside her.”
The publication continued, “At the centre of her scorn must surely be her comparably paltry pay packet of a rumoured $500,000, some four times less than Wilkinson’s much-hyped deal.”
For fans concerned that Lisa may pip Carrie off the top spot on The Project, a Ten spokesperson explained, “Lisa will join the hosting team of The Project. Her role at Ten will include hosting The Sunday Project.”
“She is NOT replacing Carrie, Waleed or Pete. To suggest she is would be total nonsense.”
Lisa announced her shock move on Twitter, writing: “I have some news. I’m sad to say that today was my last day on The today show. The following statement is from Channel Nine.”
According to the statement, Channel Nine could not reach an agreement with Lisa to extend her contract for her hosting duties on the breakfast program. Multiple reports suggest the respected journalist was waiting for equal pay to her co-host, Karl Stefanovic, to re-sign a new contract.
Woman’s Day recently revealed that Lisa was paid $1.1 million in comparison to Karl’s super-size salary, comprised of $2 million in wages and an extra $1 million for use of his image by Nine.
WATCH: Sylvia Jeffreys weighs in on the rumoured pay dispute.
