EXCLUSIVE
Lisa Wilkinson’s agent sent Channel Ten a blistering email demanding the TV presenter be given a role interviewing ‘world leaders and A-list celebrities like Michelle Obama’ in a new Network 10 series to to ‘soften the blow’ of her removal from The Project.
Wilkinson stepped down from her lead role on the program in November 2022 after her Logie Awards speech for her reporting on Brittany Higgins’ Parliament House rape allegations derailed Bruce Lehrmann’s trial.
The emails were part of documents released by the Federal Court this week amid Wilkinson’s civil case against Network Ten over a $700,000 bill she racked up after hiring her own lawyer for Mr Lehrmann’s defamation case .
It was revealed in court that Wilkinson was not solely responsible for Logies’ speech and that it had been approved at the highest levels within the network.
Now emails between Wilkinson’s agent Nick Fordham and Bev McGarvey – the CEO of Ten’s parent company Paramount – reveal the heated behind-the-scenes discussions that took place in the days leading up to the journalist’s dismissal.
The tense exchange began when Ms McGarvey emailed Mr Fordham claiming the decision to dump Wilkinson was made as The Project wanted to position the show for younger audiences with a ‘refreshed line-up of talent’ .
Pictured: Lisa Wilkinson with her agent Nick Fordham
Pictured: Bev McGarvey – the CEO of Ten’s parent company Paramount
Ms Garvey said the network was interested in discussing “alternative opportunities” that would be more consistent with Wilkinson’s “personal brand”.
She also suggested that Wilkinson could create three “premium event interviews” per year, which would be rolled out as “an event series” or coincide with special events while she served out the remainder of her contract.
But Fordham was unimpressed by the offer and the scathing way Wilkinson had been treated by the network, describing the decision to resign her as ‘disappointing’.
He said the fallout from her Logies speech had been “disturbing” for Wilkinson and that it was “extremely and deeply unfair” that the whole saga started because of the “sheer excellence of her groundbreaking interview with Ms Higgins”.
“Lisa has felt virtually abandoned on several occasions as she, as you know, continued to carry out her duties at The Project and Network Ten – always to the highest professional standard,” Mr Fordham’s email said.
“As you have admitted, everything Lisa has done at every stage has been signed off and encouraged by The Project, Network Ten and the Network Ten legal team.”
Mr Fordham acknowledged that Network Ten and Ms McGarvey had supported Wilkinson internally, but claimed they had ‘done little’ to publicly rectify her reputation, and instead had to let her ‘bear everything’.
Lisa Wilkinson is pictured outside court this week with her legal adviser, Sue Chrysanthou SC, top defamation lawyer
Despite being told by Network Ten that the situation was being managed by a ‘crisis communications team’, Mr Fordham said neither he nor Wilkinson had been introduced to them or given any evidence of any action they had taken.
Mr Fordham added that he was unsure Network Ten would be able to deliver on the interview series proposal as an earlier promise to hire an executive producer to run the Sunday Project had never materialised.
Given that experience, he said he and Wilkinson would only agree to the series if it was clearly outlined from the start and firm commitments made in advance.
He also insisted that any interviews Wilkinson conducted as part of the series would also be broadcast on The Project and that she would be the show’s presenter for major world events.
“In terms of the proposed talent for the interview series, the caliber of interviewees should be the same as Michelle Obama, world leaders and A+ list celebrities,” he said.
‘Lisa’s contract is for work on The Project and to cushion the very real blow this change will have on Lisa’s status and reputation in the industry, we insist that Lisa’s future celebrity interviews, stories and coverage of international events on The Project appear.
‘We also want Lisa to be guaranteed to appear for The Project at major world events, such as King Charles’ coronation next year.
“Like you said, Lisa shines on the road and no one does it better. Likewise, Lisa currently has some incredibly strong feel-good stories in the works – all of which are exclusive – that she would love to see come to fruition on The Project.”
Mr Fordham further noted that the company would have to consider any travel costs to fly Wilkinson to a job, as she may not be based in Australia all the time after stepping down from The Project.
He also ordered that the proposed changes to her role be addressed in a joint statement with Wilkinson, released by Network Ten.
Emails reveal Wilkinson’s agent insisted she be given a role presenting at major world events for The Project as part of a contract change when Network Ten scaled back her role
Lisa Wilkinson is pictured giving her Logies speech in June 2022
In response, Ms McGarvey doubled down on claims that Wilkinson was sidelined as The Project took a new direction, revealing she was just one of ‘many changes’ made to the programme.
She also said she had requested an internal briefing on Mr Fordham’s claims that he and Wilkinson had not been adequately consulted on attempts to ‘limit criticism in the media’, but was told this was not was the case.
She said she was told Wilkinson, her husband Peter FitzSimons, Mr Fordham and Wilkinson’s lawyer had been consulted and agreed on the approach ‘every step of the way’.
However, McGarvey admitted that more could have been done to help save Wilkinson’s reputation, citing “legal constraints” as the reason the network did not inform the media that Wilkinson was not solely responsible for the speech accident.
“We accept that more can be said or done in an ordinary context without serious criminal proceedings,” Ms McGarvey wrote.
“(But) overall, I am confident that we have done our utmost to support Lisa during this very difficult time.”
Ms McGarvey agreed a joint statement would be issued, but argued there was no need to “pre-agree” work opportunities for Wilkinson as she “may want to take a longer break after a difficult year”.
However, she said she accepted Wilkinson and that the network would have to agree on the nature, branding and execution of each special – noting that they envisioned Wilkinson’s branding evolving “like that of (advertising guru) Todd Sampson ‘.
Mr Fordham followed up the next day by emailing a draft list of changes to be made to Wilkinson’s employee contract, including details of the proposed interview series and Ten paying for any business class flights she needed for the programme.
Lisa Wilkinson is pictured with Brittany Higgins in 2021, after The Project interview
This week, Wilkinson said in court that she later contacted Ms McGarvey to follow up on plans to hold a meeting about the series proposal in late February 2023, but never heard back.
On Wednesday, Wilkinson won her bid against Ten to cover her legal costs after successfully arguing that she hired her own legal counsel instead of using the Network’s because Ten did not have her best interests in mind and did not would defend well.
The full amount will be determined when the judge decides on the defamation proceedings, which is likely to take place in March.
Mr Lehrmann sued Wilkinson and the network over her 2021 interview with Brittany Higgins on the project, in which she publicly alleged for the first time that Mr Lehrmann raped her at Parliament House in 2019.
He was not named on the broadcast, but claimed friends and former colleagues were able to identify him as the alleged rapist.
His criminal trial in October 2022 was vacated because a juror brought prohibited research material into the court. The rape charge was subsequently dropped due to concerns about Ms Higgins’ mental health.
He has consistently maintained his innocence.