With Karl a “dead man walking” at Nine, his former co-host-turned-network rival Lisa Wilkinson is said to be on “borrowed time” at The Project, with key insiders predicting she may not even return to the show in January.
In what has become Australian television industry’s most unbridled year, one former TV executive tells Woman’s Day it’s highly unlikely that Lisa’s $2 million-a-year contract will be renewed.
Industry insiders say Lisa’s time at Ten has not been a success. (Image: Instagram @lisa_wilkinson)
“Her tenure hasn’t quite worked out… She’s just not worth $2 million a year, let alone the huge bills for first class travel and top hotels for those big ticket overseas interviews, which have missed the mark altogether,” says the source.
Lisa, 59, famously jumped ship to Ten in October 2017 following a widely reported pay dispute between her and Nine.
“There were lots of reasons why it was time to make a move, and that [pay gap] was part of it… the gender pay gap is real,” she said at the time.
WATCH: Lisa Wilkinson and Carrie Bickmore’s feud. Post continues…
While CBS, the US TV giant which brought Ten earlier this year, glowed about nabbing Lisa in January, our sources says the network was expecting more.
“I’m not sure if her contract will be renewed. CBS has a reputation for being utterly ruthless when it comes to on-air talent not working out.”
The news comes amidst a year of floundering ratings for The Sunday Project, which has seen the show’s viewership drop since Lisa’s arrival. Earlier this year, it was revealed only 198,000 viewers tuned into the start of a much hyped interview with Aussie pop icon Kylie Minogue.
Only 198,000 viewers watched Lisa’s interview with Kylie Minogue. (Image: Instagram @lisa_wilkinson)
“The Sunday Project experiment has been a monumental failure. Some wonder if ratings will improve if Lisa was removed from the equation,” adds the insider.
The show’s failure is just additional stress for Lisa, who has struggled to fit in at Ten.
“Everyone is very professional so you won’t hear them airing their dirty linen in public, but they haven’t really developed a close personal relationship with Lisa,” says the industry insider. “They don’t often invite her for drinks after work.”
