Lisa Wilkinson doesn’t have ‘any kind of future in commercial television’ after ‘torching bridges’ at three networks – as she enters final days of Ch10 contract

TV insiders say Lisa Wilkinson will struggle to find more work in commercial television when her contract with Channel 10 expires before the new year.

The former Project host, 64, has been off the network’s screens for more than two years, but will remain on the payroll until the end of this month – at a reported $1.7 million a year.

The Australian claims Wilkinson has ‘absolutely burned’ its bridges at three major networks: Ten, Nine and Seven.

The publication said it was “difficult to understand” how Wilkinson could have “any future in commercial television in Australia” after the disastrous recent years of her career.

Wilkinson is said to have burned her first bridge at Nine after suddenly splitting from the network amid reports of a pay dispute.

The former Today breakfast show presenter announced her departure from the program in October 2017 to take up an offer from a rival network to present Ten’s The Project.

Wilkinson was said to be the glue that held the Today show together when Karl Stefanovic became ‘a turn-off’ for female viewers.

Wilkinson had seen “secret market research” that showed she was the popular morning show’s biggest asset, media commentator Peter Ford told Kyle and Jackie O just days after her sudden departure.

“Karl had…become a bit of a turn-off for women, and she kept it all together and kind of carried it,” he said at the time.

Wilkinson quit after Channel Nine reportedly failed to match her salary with that of co-star Karl, who was believed to be earning almost $3 million a year at the time.

A report from The Australian published in 2016 claimed Stefanovic signed a contract worth up to $9 million over three years, depending on ratings.

The report also claimed that Wilkinson’s contract was only worth $1.1 million per year – just under a third of what Karl could earn.

Sources at Nine told The Daily Telegraph that during negotiations Wilkinson’s salary was $1.8 million, but Wilkinson reportedly demanded $2 million and rejected the $700,000 pay rise.

However, Wilkinson’s move to Ten seven years ago ended in tears in 2022 when she left The Project, citing “the ruthless, targeted toxicity of some parts of the media.”

Wilkinson is said to have burned her first bridge at Nine after abruptly breaking away from the network when she quit today amid reports of a pay dispute. Pictured with co-host Karl Stefanovic

In 2023, she sued Ten for more than $700,000 in legal fees after hiring defamation specialist Sue Chrysanthou SC to defend her in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case.

During the civil claim against the network, Wilkinson insisted she was not solely responsible for the Logies speech that derailed Lehrmann’s 2022 rape trial.

Ten and Wilkinson won the defamation case against Lehrmann after Judge Michael Lee found on the balance of probabilities that the former Liberal staffer had raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House.

Wilkinson also targeted Seven in 2023 when she made an official complaint to the Spotlight programme, which conducted an interview with Lehrmann.

The television presenter filed the complaints last June, claiming Seven’s broadcast breached commercial television standards.

It comes after reports earlier this year suggested Wilkinson wants to return to TV screens after months of inactivity and five nasty weeks spent in a courtroom.

The Channel Ten star and former breakfast TV darling was keen to do more ‘blockbuster interviews’ again in the new year, friends told the Weekend Australian.

Wilkinson quit The Project in November 2022 and despite remaining on Ten’s payroll until the end of 2024, she has not appeared on the channel for two years.

Wilkinson’s move to Ten seven years ago ended tearfully in 2022 when she left The Project, citing “the ruthless, targeted toxicity of some parts of the media.” Pictured with former colleagues Steve Jacobs, Sylvia Jeffreys and Richard Wilkins

Despite her long hiatus from the network, Wilkinson has remained in the public eye through her role in the highly publicized Lehrmann libel trial.

She was involved in a case with Lehrmann who sued Network Ten and Wilkinson over an interview with Brittany Higgins that aired on The Project and online.

Friends of Wilkinson said her court appearances worked to her advantage because they gave the TV star ‘a constant stream of publicity’.

“Yes, she’s been off air for a while, but I don’t think anyone has forgotten her,” former Seven and Nine director Peter Meakin told the channel. Weekend Australian.

“I’m sure her loyal followers will remain loyal.”

Network Ten claimed at the time that they were in talks to develop ‘other projects’ with Wilkinson.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Wilkinson and Ten for further comment.