Former The Project panelist Meshel Laurie has taken aim at the Channel 10 show for replacing embattled host Lisa Wilkinson with ‘three white women’.
Radio host Rachel Corbett, former ABC presenter Georgie Tunny and Studio 10 anchor Sarah Harris will rotate as fill-ins for Wilkinson, 62, as she takes time off following her disastrous Logies speech.
Laurie, 49, who was sacked from The Project in 2019, reacted to the news with derision, branding the move to hire ‘three more white women’ as ‘hilarious’ in a now-deleted Instagram post on Tuesday.
Former The Project panelist Meshel Laurie (pictured) has taken aim at the Channel 10 show for replacing embattled host Lisa Wilkinson with ‘three white women’
‘@Channel10au and @theprojecttv [love] diversity. I love these women individually, but I find it kind of hilarious that they’re replacing [Wilkinson] with THREE more white women,’ Laurie wrote next to a photo of Corbett, Tunny, Harris and Wilkinson.
‘I know we are a legion but even I’m starting to wonder where they keep finding us! I know they are aware of non-Anglo women, but they are very determined to hide them!’
Laurie’s post comes a week after she claimed Channel 10 executives found her political views ‘too left’ for the notoriously left-leaning current affairs show.
Radio host Rachel Corbett (bottom left), former ABC presenter Georgie Tunny (bottom right) and Studio 10 anchor Sarah Harris (top left) will rotate as fill-ins for Wilkinson, 62, (top right) as she takes time off following her disastrous Logies speech
Laurie, who was sacked from The Project in 2019, reacted to the news with derision, branding the move to hire ‘three more white women’ as ‘hilarious’ in a now-deleted Instagram post
Laurie’s post comes a week after she claimed Channel 10 executives found her political views ‘too left’ for the notoriously left-leaning current affairs show. (Pictured with Waleed Aly)
While Laurie did not explicitly state she was sacked for her views, she says concerns were raised about her politics not long after former Today host Wilkinson joined the panel in 2018.
Laurie, who now runs her own successful podcast company, also alleges she ‘tried for years’ to get Channel 10 to hire more Indigenous presenters but her requests were apparently ignored.
She spoke bitterly of her years working for the network in a series of Instagram posts, telling her followers she has ’emails to prove’ her explosive claims.
While Laurie did not explicitly state she was sacked for her views, she says concerns were raised about her politics not long after former Today host Wilkinson joined the panel in 2018
Laurie also shared screenshots of emails she allegedly sent to executives at The Project urging them to hire more Indigenous panelists and even pitching a ‘mentoring program’ to develop First Nations talent.
The Australian reported on Tuesday that Wilkinson will be replaced by Corbett, Tunny and Harris on The Project, as she remains off the air in the aftermath of her controversial speech at the Logie Awards last month.
The three women will reportedly fill in for Wilkinson on alternate nights, alongside regular hosts Waleed Aly, Carrie Bickmore and Peter Helliar.
Laurie, who now runs her own successful podcast company, also alleges she ‘tried for years’ to get Channel 10 to hire more Indigenous presenters but her requests were apparently ignored
Wilkinson isn’t expected to return to the Channel 10 current affairs show until August, despite previous reports she was coming back in July.
The former Nine presenter has been absent from live broadcasts since June, but she has filed pre-recorded segments for The Sunday Project.
Wilkinson was ‘quietly and securely whisked out’ of Australia recently and will be based in Los Angeles for the coming weeks.
Laurie also shared screenshots (pictured) of emails she allegedly sent to executives at The Project urging them to hire more Indigenous panelists and even pitching a ‘mentoring program’ to develop First Nations talent
She will spend time in ‘Hollywood and New York’ where she will interview ‘musicians and A-list film stars’ for upcoming packages for The Project.
‘She’ll be dialling in from her new-found Hollywood base as The Project’s roving reporter,’ The Australian reported on Sunday.
The trip will be combined with annual leave Wilkinson already had planned.
On Tuesday, The Australian reported that Wilkinson will be replaced by Corbett, Tunny and Harris on The Project, as she continues to take time off air following her controversial speech at the Logie Awards last month
Wilkinson was originally scheduled to be back on the live panel in mid-July, but will now remain away for at least a month longer.
Wilkinson was taken off the air after she spoke of an upcoming court case during her acceptance speech at the Logie Awards last month.
The trial in question was rescheduled until October as a result.
Wilkinson was taken off the air after she spoke of an upcoming court case during a speech at the Logie Awards last month. The trial in question was rescheduled until October as a result
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