Peter Helliar has hit back at critics of 10’s flagship show, The Project.
The Project is one of those rare shows that makes news from reporting on the news, and long-time host Helliar opened up to The Daily Telegraph about what it is like being on such a highly scrutinised show.
He said: “I do get the sense that there have been various people coming for it a bit. I have seen a couple of things, we live in a very political world, and people can be easily offended, so I know that there are people coming for the show.
“But on the flip side, what I do know and I generally focus on, is we have an audience that absolutely love the show and are passionate about the show.
“We have the most engaged audience in television. If we run a story about some people doing it tough and trying to raise some money, by the time we get off the air, there’s $100,000 raised. That doesn’t happen if people aren’t invested in the show. It’s a credit to the people who work behind the scenes.”
The Project is one of those rare shows that constantly generates headlines. From concerns, that Lisa Wilkinson was leaving after her Logies speech to the excitement that Chrissie Swan is taking over the panel. To concerns that Carrie Bickmore was leaving the show, to rumours, the show would be cancelled because it isn’t pulling the same numbers it used to years ago.
Carrie Bickmore is back already after all the hoopla about her leaving? Ok then
— Glenn Hampson (@GlennHampson) July 12, 2022
Love seeing the kitchen on NZ TV, @Peter_Fitz! Great cross, @Lisa_Wilkinson! @TheProject_NZ #COVID19nz pic.twitter.com/bMfKTUCXpB
— Craig Norenbergs (@CraigNorenbergs) August 17, 2021
Lisa Wilkinson has jetted off to the US, taking a break from her regular duties on The Project desk. – Goodbye and don’t come back!
— KylieB (@burdenkylie1) July 19, 2022
There is always a story about The Project. Which perhaps speaks to the cultural impact the show has had on Australians.
There are plenty of television shows that pull the same, or worse numbers that don’t end up becoming constant tabloid fodder and there’s also no denying that The Project always lands in the top 20.
Undoubtedly, The Project is one of the most talked about shows on television.
