After failing to reappear on The Project since mid-June, speculation has been rising over Lisa Wilkinson’s whereabouts, and her status on the program. The host was allegedly scheduled to reappear in early July but was notably absent, with The Australian’s Media Diary column reporting that she has quietly travelled to the US and would likely not resume her co-hosting duties until late August.
There, she is said to be interviewing musicians and movie stars, which will appear in pre-recorded segments on the show.
“Plenty of room at the Hotel California! I’m here in the US for some very special @theprojecttv interviews. Can’t wait to share more…,” she wrote on her latest Instagram post.
Wilkinson, who received significant backlash for her acceptance speech at the 2022 Logies, has been keeping a low profile since, with her recent jaunt to the US fuelling the belief that she is in hiding. Her annual leave, however, is said to have been booked prior to the Logies furore, but has since been extended.
After receiving the award for most outstanding news coverage for her interview with Brittany Higgins, she made comments which caused the trial of Bruce Lehrmann, the man accused of raping Ms Higgins, to be delayed. The trial was originally meant to begin on June 27 but has now been pushed back to October 4 to allow the reignited media frenzy to die down.
ACT Supreme Court Justice Lucy McCallum said the speech “completely obliterated” the line between allegation and guilt of the alleged sexual assault.
And, the surrounding criticism wasn’t limited to those working in the legal profession. Ex-weatherman Tim Bailey, who has previously worked alongside Wilkinson, accused her of having a “big head” in a since-deleted tweet.
“Pull ya head in. I know this might be difficult, because it is a very big head. But please try,” he wrote.
According to The Australian, Lisa’s absence was due to the “high emotional ‘toll'” from the speech and rather than returning to the desk, she was “quietly and securely whisked out of Australia and into Los Angeles”.
The outlet added that she’ll be “dialling in from her new-found Hollywood base as The Project‘s roving reporter.”
Her late August start date is likely not set in stone, so we’ll have to wait and see when she decides to return. In her absence, Sarah Harris (Studio 10 host) ,Georgie Tunny (Flash presenter) and Rachel Corbett (Sydney radio presenter) are expected to take turns filling in.
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