The Project host Waleed Aly has reportedly been ‘in talks’ with the ABC to leave the Ten Network show to join the ABC.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Waleed ‘may well believe [The Project] is now a little beneath’ a man of his ‘intellectual’.
Furthermore, there have been ‘whispers’ at the ABC that Waleed is hoping to take over from Leigh Sales – host of ABC’s flagship news and current affairs program 7.30
Is The Project’s Waleed Aly (left) gunning for Leigh Sale’s (right) enviable position at the ABC?
There have been ‘whispers’ at the ABC that Waleed Aly is hoping to take over from Leigh Sales
While the move would certainly in the ABC some diversity points, there has been no official confirmation from either channel.
But it’s not the first time than Waleed has been linked to the ABC – Pauline Hanson previously claimed that the ABC wanted to buy The Project for a whopping $10 million.
‘ABC has approached Channel 10 in a secret deal to buy #TheProjectTV. Want to guess how much was offered? — PH,’ she tweeted on July 4.
However, the day after Hanson’s ill-informed tweet, an ABC spokesman confirmed that there was ‘absolutely no truth to it’ and added: ‘There is no secret deal #HappyAt10’.
An ill-informed Pauline Hanson wrongly tweeted that Channel 10 wanted to buy The Project
‘I really love Lisa!’ Waleed said of his soon-to-be co-host in an October episode of The Project
However, it seems that Waleed is in no hurry to abandon The Project as he and co-host Carrie Bickmore gushed over their soon-to-be co-star Lisa Wilkinson.
‘I really love Lisa. It is nice to be able to contractually say it now,’ Waleed said in October.
Lisa will join Waleed, Carrie and Peter Heliar in hosting The Project in 2018 – if Waleed is still there.
New gig: While fans are wondering whether Lisa might ‘replace’ one of the current hosts, a spokesperson at Channel Ten told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday that this is not the case
Waleed and Carrie beamed as they gushed over Lisa Wilkinson who will join the panel program
Leigh Sales, who is widely believed to hold the highest-paid job at the ABC, surely won’t give up her enviable gig without a fight.
Despite the secrecy surrounding the network’s richest talent, industry insiders claim that Leigh holds the top job.
The ABC refused a government request to disclose the salaries of its 150 highest-paid staff, but revealed 20 of its top stars earned between $225,000 and $460,000.
The ABC was on October 13 given until the end of November to reveal the individual salaries of its top staff who earn more than $200,000.