0/5

Andrew Bolt to replace Charlie Pickering on The Project

Updated: TEN has been testing Andrew Bolt to replace Charlie Pickering on The Project.

bolt-project2EXCLUSIVE: Outspoken News Corp columnist Andrew Bolt will replace Charlie Pickering on The Project.

Bolt, who is in his fourth year as host of The Bolt Report, will join Carrie Bickmore and Peter Helliar at the desk after Pickering departs next week.

The surprise move is designed to make the show more ‘watercooler’ and help lift TEN’s primetime ratings share, and follows Bolt’s Sunday morning show being quietly extended from 30 to 60 minutes this year.

Charlie Pickering announced his departure earlier this month but while no permanent replacement was announced, TV Tonight understands testing has been underway at TEN’s Como building in South Yarra.

A TEN insider said, “Love him or loathe him, Andrew Bolt gets people talking and right now TEN realises that’s just what they need. Steve Price has worked well for the show so Bolter is the next logical step. It will all make sense after the Murdoch camp buys the network for a song.”

Roving Productions is understood to have agreed to more coverage of the Abbott government policies and less talk on climate change, while asylum seeker issues are off the table unless the story can elicit some tears from Carrie Bickmore -considered by producers to be ‘ratings gold.’

Bolt was coaxed into joining the show in order to take on “that reckless, unapologetic ABC”, before realising the public broadcaster actually out-rates Network TEN.

Meanwhile The Project is also expected to move back to a 6pm start to allow MasterChef to screen at 7pm. Sources suggest Programming never wanted to move its Reality shows to 7:30pm in the first place, but it was a decision made by an executive who was on pain killers at the time.

However the moves have also caused rumblings within The Project office, with a petition set to unroll at change.org and Peter Helliar threatening to start telling ‘Dad’ jokes in protest. Carrie Bickmore was more upbeat about the changes, overheard telling colleagues, “You think you got problems? I’m hosting a Dance show on shopping night! Compared to those ratings this show is practically Game of Thrones!”

TEN declined to comment on the details, simply saying, “The Project is in the top 15 shows for  13-29 year olds.

“We are in this for the long haul. “

131 Responses

  1. So sorry I missed this earlier today, I was working so wasn’t on Twitter much. I was wondering what your April Fool joke would be today. Like a few others have said, I hope it doesn’t give 10 any stupid ideas. So has Meet The Press been dumped completely now that Bolt is an hour?

  2. Another classic TVT AFD joke with some nice little nods to some recent events, esp the exec being on pain-killers. Altho’ I prob would’ve left the line about the Murdochs buying Ten until later (everyone’s a critic). Nicely written, shame it didn’t catch a few more out (or maybe it did but they’re not saying).

  3. I fell for it!!! Completely. Even as the story become more and more bizarre, I still thought everything there was utterly believable. You, sir, have bested me good.

  4. I would have loved another article announcing that SYTYCD is changing formats mid-season and switching to the one used on Everybody Dance Now for the remainder of the season, called “So You Think Everybody Can Dance Now”.

  5. Hahaha. This is like that time you said Gina Rinehard was taking over as CEO.

    That being said, you might be giving Ten ideas. Considering their recent history of installing right wing shock jocks on expensive programming, the execs at Ten are probably thinking “Andrew Bolt on The Project? What a great idea. Why didn’t we think of that?”.

    1. Thanks to everybody for the fun comments. It’s a shame this day only comes once a year, really.

      As many readers know, AFD is a tradition here and I was tossing up various ideas to run with. But I always like to take something that is already out there and run with it just a little bit further. Of course I always pen my yarns so that the reader goes “What the…?” but as the story progresses and becomes more and more bizarre, they are left in no doubt. I never really expect anybody to be sucked in entirely.

      The story has had a good deal of traction on social media including from The Project’s only feed “Do not bolt to conclusions” and thanks to TEN folk who were good sports about it all. I’ll have to check if it cops a mention tonight on the show itself.

      As always, thanks for playing everybody! David.

  6. After being fooled by your Gina Rineheart becomes ten CEO gag last year I wasn’t this time, though I was half expecting to see the headline ‘Wake Up beats Sunrise’ though I suppose no one would believe that.

  7. Am I the only comment who is absolutely gutted that this is not true and just an Apfil Fools Day joke?

    Jeez I thought Scott Pape presenting a housing show was the AFD gag….damn

  8. Two years in a row The Project is the target for your April Fools joke. Luckily I knew the date, otherwise I would have been outraged at the changes! My favourite line would have to be “a decision made by an executive who was on pain killers at the time”. Apart from the headline, that was the give away for me, and the fact there are no comments posted as I type this! 😉

Leave a Reply