Hamish Macdonald is returning to 10, reuniting with Lisa Wilkinson as co-host of The Sunday Project.
Hamish said: “I am over the moon to be returning to 10 and thrilled about the opportunity to make great local and international content with this dynamic group of producers and presenters.
“It is also a total joy to be heading back to the desk with Lisa, Tommy and the people I love so much.
“Finding innovative ways to tell stories from Australia and around the world is what I love doing and I can’t wait to get stuck into it.”
Hamish Macdonald and Lisa Wilkinson
Earlier this week, it was announced that Macdonald was farewelling the ABC after 18 months with the national broadcaster in which he anchored flagship discussion program Q+A. He also regularly presented RN Breakfast, hosted the Reef Live event, filed for Foreign Correspondent and reported from the field during the 2020 bushfires.
Macdonald took over as Q+A host in late 2019 when Tony Jones stepped down after 11 years at the helm. He oversaw the move of Q+A to Thursday nights from its long-time home on Monday evenings, a change which has seen the show decline sharply in TV ratings and struggle to crack 300,000 viewers.
The first episode of Q+A in 2021 saw an audience of 280,000 Thursday night metro viewers. In the Monday slot a year prior, it was seen by 411,000 metro viewers.
Macdonald has only hosted Q+A sporadically in the last few months, with guest hosts such as Stan Grant, David Speers, and Virginia Trioli filling in. The last time Macdonald hosted the show was on June 24.
Sarah Thornton, head of popular factual, Network 10, said: “We have always considered Hamish part of our family here at The Project, and we are thrilled to welcome him home.
“Hamish is an outstanding journalist and his skill and passion as a broadcaster make him a valued addition to our hosting line-up on The Project.
“Hamish will also be back on the road, where he is peerless, telling extraordinary stories and connecting with people in Australia and around the globe. As the world and the media landscape change, and as storytelling comes to the fore, never have Hamish’s talents been more important. I’m excited for what the future holds with Hamish back at 10.”
Hamish Macdonald will return to 10 on The Project and The Sunday Project in early September 2021.