Liam Bartlett quits 60 Minutes

Reporter Liam Bartlett is leaving 60 Minutes for family reasons.

Bartlett has been with the flagship Nine series for six years, when he left Perth radio station 6PR to replace the late Richard Carleton.

The Daily Telegraph quotes him as saying, “…the fact is I have three school-age children. After six and a half years on the road, I’ve reached the point where I have to make a choice between travel and family.

“And family comes first. The time has come to pursue new opportunities and new challenges.”

During his time Bartlett has been involved in his share of colourful stories, including being denied access to Christmas Island detention centre and getting slammed by the mayor of the Gold Coast for depicting the tourist destination as “Australia’s crime capital.”

In 2008 he was reported to have criticised the direction of the Nine show at a farewell function for Ray Martin.

But it will be hard not to forget Bartlett’s interview with Joan Collins which one critic called “Insult-the-star journalism.”

“Just wasted two hours of my life with the most arrogant, conceited, mean-spirited, ageing Hollywood star on the planet. What a crock,” he posted on Twitter at the time.

Meanwhile his departure will likely fuel rumours of Karl Stefanovic making the switch to 60 Minutes full-time especially given Today producer Tom Malone is set to take the reins.