Sarah Harris thought her time was up at 10 before joining The Project
Former Studio 10 host Sarah Harris thought her time with the network was over and she would have to get a regular public sector job before landing a plum gig on The Project
Former Studio 10 host Sarah Harris thought her time at Channel 10 was over before landing her current role on The Project.
The 41-year-old had started looking at job openings on LinkedIn before being offered the high-profile hosting gig in late 2022.
With a year left on her contract with the network, Sarah said she was even thinking about a public service job with the NSW Department of Transport.
The mother-of-two made the surprising remarks during an interview The Jess Rowe Big Show talk show podcast on tuesday.
Sarah told Rowe that a role on 10’s premier current affairs programme, The Project, was not something she was looking for.
Former Studio 10 host Sarah Harris (pictured) has revealed she thought her time at Channel 10 was over before landing her current role on The Project
The 41-year-old is now a co-host on The Project with Waleed Aly (left) after replacing Carrie Bickmore
“I had one year left on my contract when I was 10,” she explained.
“And it felt like things were wrapping up for me and I couldn’t shake the feeling,” she continued. “And I found myself going on Linkedin and checking job openings.”
In a startling admission, Harris said a position with the NSW Department of Transport was one of the positions she had her eye on.
“I thought my kids like trains and I thought I could get an Opal card for free and start working more regular hours,” she added.
Sarah explained that she planned her post-media career for herself, but had to “throw it off” when The Project gig came up.
“And it was one of those things where I said, ‘If I don’t say yes to this opportunity, and I hate being sorry, I’ll beat myself up for this if I don’t say yes.'”
Sarah told Jess Rowe, who was her former Studio 10 co-host, that she started searching for jobs on Linkedin before landing a spot on The Project
Sarah also spoke out about The Project scandal earlier this year after the program aired a controversial joke about Christianity.
The current affairs show received a barrage of criticism after comedian and comedian Reuben Kaye joked that he admired Jesus Christ because “I love any guy who can get nailed for three days straight and come back for more.”
Sarah, who has been open about mental health issues, described the dropout and setback as an unpleasant few weeks: “I thought in a way it was good for me to get through that very humbling experience.”
Sarah gained a legion of fans during her nine-year tenure as the host of Studio 10 thanks to her sunny disposition and affable disposition.
With a year left in her contract with the network, Sarah said she was even thinking about a public service job with the NSW Department of Transport
Harris joins Aly, Sam Taunton, Michael Hing, Hamish Macdonald and Georgie Tunny on The Project’s revamped panel. All pictured
She joined The Project after Carrie Bickmore, 41, announced her shock departure from the panel show in October after 12 years on the air.
The firings of Lisa Wilkinson and Peter Helliar followed.
Sarah, who divorced her husband Tom Ward in 2021, is said to have recently signed a new, long-term contract with Ten.
She joined the primetime panel show early this year, following the departures of regular hosts Carrie Bickmore, Pete Helliar and Lisa Wilkinson at the end of 2022.
The new lineup includes ex-ABC sports host Georgie Tunny and former Triple J announcer Michael Hing alongside longtime anchor Waleed Aly.