Ten a network at war in wake of Wilkinson saga say staff

When Lisa Wilkinson became Ten’s highest-paid on air talent, staff were prepared to forgive her huge salary, lavish wardrobe allowance, personal hair and make-up teams. Not to mention the luxury accommodation and business-class flights between Sydney and Melbourne for her role on The Project. 

After all, they were all assured the big signing of the one-time Today host was a sign Ten would return to the world of ‘serious’ news – and help turn around the fortunes of the network’s reality TV franchises. 

However the following five years have delivered a very different reality.

The Project’s rating are now at all-time lows, with just a dismal 185,000 tuning in to the 6.30pm time slot across the five-city metro market in March, the show’s lowest ratings since its prime time debut in 2017.