Lisa Wilkinson has been a TV regular since she took the reins of the TODAY show back in 2007.
Now, 10 years later, her co-hosts helped her celebrate this important milestone by looking back on Lisa’s best moments, travelling back to Lisa high school in Campbelltown to film this very special moment.
And the emotional tribute was led by none other than her co-host Karl Stefanovic, who only had shining things to say about Lisa’s hard work and dedication to the show.
“Since you came along, it’s been a real honour and a privilege to work with you and to call you a friend who has been there through so much of everyone’s lives at home, but also our lives personally,” Karl began, praising Lisa and their personal friendship.
“The ups and downs, the overs and outs, you have been a constant source of friendship and of love and on a day like today, all I can do is salute you and thank you for being part of my life.”
Karl wasn’t the only one to get a emotional during the live-cross from Campbelltown, with Sylvia Jeffreys wiping away tears, thanking Lisa for being her mentor.
“Every day, every interview, every segment, every single thing you do, you strive for excellence and you never stop and you set such a wonderful example for every woman in the industry, which is such an incredible thing,” Sylvia said.
“It is wonderful to sit next to someone like you, to absorb everything. It’s a really special thing. I’m crying more than you.”
If this wasn’t moving enough, Lisa’s family surprised her on screen, including husband Peter FitzSimons, and three kids Billi, Louis and Jake.
Lisa was obviously touched by everyone’s loving words, and thanked her co-stars for their support and friendship.
“Can I just say what an incredible privilege it has been to front the show for the last 10 years,” she said.
“It is a job that I never ever in a million years, certainly when I was growing up in Campbelltown, that I could have imagined I would be lucky enough to have. But it is such a privilege to wake up with all of you, every single morning, and the feedback that we get and the encouragement that we get from you means everything to us. It is why we keep getting up at an ungodly hour every day, as does the entire crew on the show.”
“We’re just the faces out the front. But the people behind the scenes that put this show together are phenomenal. They are so supportive of all of us and we couldn’t do the show without them. So I want to salute all of them this morning as well as all of you at home. Thank you so much for your support,” Lisa continued.
Not only that, but Lisa selflessly used this opportunity to essentially make every TV-loving kid’s dreams come true this morning, announcing that she wants to share her love and passion for journalism with her very own intern for the TODAY show.
The successful applicant “will have the opportunity to spend some time one-on-one with Lisa Wilkinson”.
According to the website, she is looking for someone “keen to pursue a career in media journalism and to see what it is like behind the scenes at TODAY,” and who is also “studying a degree in communications, media or an equivalent tertiary education, or be looking to transition into a career in media”.
But mostly importantly, the successful applicant must “be required to set an early alarm clock to go off around 4am”.
If you know someone that fits this description (and is a morning person) check out the TODAY show website for more information and learn how to apply.
