Dave Hughes reveals secret feud with The Project co-host Charlie Pickering

Dave ‘Hughesy’ Hughes has lifted the lid on his secret feud with Charlie Pickering during the early years of The Project.

The pair co-hosted the Channel 10 news program with Carrie Bickmore from 2009 to 2013, and seemed to be the good friends on camera.

But tensions were running high behind the scenes.

While being interviewed by Hughes on his 2Day FM breakfast show on Thursday, Pickering recalled how the men would bicker constantly about things they’d said on-air, and how they were going to approach upcoming episodes.

‘It came from a vey good place, we cared so much for the show,’ said Pickering, 45, who has since made amends with Hughes, 52.

‘Some would say we cared too much,’ added Hughes.

Pickering then mentioned one particular argument that almost ended in violence. 

The men had disagreed on what questions they were going to ask former High Court judge Michael Kirby when he appeared on The Project to promote his new book. 

Dave Hughes, 52, (left)  has lifted the lid on his secret feud with Charlie Pickering, 45, (right) on the set of The Project

The argument was so heated the two men ended up in the office of The Project’s executive producer Chris Walker. 

‘It was enormous. Like, this fight was amazing,’ Pickering recounted. 

Hughes said: ‘This was an A-grade fight, neither of us backed down. I was actually proud of both of us for just standing our ground. It was quite good.’ 

The pair (both pictured) co-hosted the Channel 10 program with presenter Carrie Bickmore (centre) from 2009 to 2013, and seemed to be the best of friends while on camera 

Pickering also mused that the ‘best thing about that fight’ was the fact that Kirby had named his book after Mohandas Gandhi, the Indian revolutionary who famously took a non-violent approach to conflict. 

‘We had this enormous fight, almost came to physical blows, and the book was called ‘What Would Ghandi Do?’, laughed Pickering. 

Hughes, Pickering and Bickmore were the original hosts of The Project, which premiered in 2009. 

Appearing on Hughes’ 2DAY FM radio show Hughesy, Ed & Erin on Thursday, Pickering recalled how the men would bicker constantly about things they’d said on-air, and how they were going to approach upcoming episodes

Hughes quit the show in 2013, saying he was ‘sick of doing TV every night’ and wanted to focus on his stand-up comedy career. 

A year later, Pickering also left the show and defected from Ten to join government broadcaster ABC. 

Pickering has said he felt working for the commercial network compromised his moral values. 

In 2015 he began hosting his own TV show, The Weekly with Charlie Pickering, as well as the annual special The Yearly with Charlie Pickering

Pickering then recalled one particular argument that almost erupted in physical violence. The men had disagreed about what questions they were going to ask former High Court judge Michael Kirby when he appeared on The Project to promote his new book. (Hughes and Pickering picture together on Celebrity Name Game in 2019)