Charlie Pickering returns to The Project; jokes about recent staff exodus 

Former The Project host Charlie Pickering was welcomed back to the Channel 10 show as a guest on Monday, nine years after he quit the panel for ethical reasons.

The ABC comedian, 45, appeared on the panel to promote his role as a team captain on the Chrissie Swan-hosted comedy series Would I Lie to You? Australia.

He addressed the elephant in the room straight off the bat, telling presenters Waleed Aly and Sarah Harris it was good to be back in the studio after nearly a decade away.

But he also couldn’t resist making a joke about the recent staff exodus which has seen the likes of Carrie Bickmore – Pickering’s former co-host from the early days of The Project – as well as Peter Helliar and Lisa Wilkinson quit the program.

‘Tell us, is it nice to be back in the studio?’ Harris asked him.

‘Oh, it really is. A lot of memories. A lot of memories coming back here,’ he replied.

‘Mainly [of] former colleagues’ farewell episodes that I tend to come back for,’ he added, drawing awkward laughter from the panel and audience.

The ABC comedian, 45, appeared on the panel to promote his role as a team captain on the comedy series Would I Lie to You? (Pictured with Sam Taunton, centre, and Waleed Aly, right)

It comes after Pickering revealed earlier this month he hadn’t been asked to return to The Project as a host since walking out on the show to join the ABC. 

‘They’ve not asked, and I don’t think I would,’ he told Stellar magazine.

Pickering abruptly quit The Project in March 2014 because he felt working for the commercial network compromised his moral values.

He then signed with the ABC, where he hosts satirical news show The Weekly.

He addressed the elephant in the room straight off the bat, telling Waleed Aly and Sarah Harris it was good to be back in the studio after nearly a decade away. He then joked about the recent staff exodus, saying he’d been back for several ‘former colleagues’ farewell episodes’ recently

As for the recent mass exodus of the show’s biggest stars, Pickering told Stellar: ‘It’s natural that people are going to want to seek other opportunities.’

Pickering also believes the program can survive its recent line-up changes and flagging ratings.  

‘The Today show has been going for however long and had so many changes of hosts,’ he said.

Pickering was one of the original hosts of The Project with Carrie Bickmore (centre) and Peter Helliar (right). All three have since departed the program