‘When did people get so frightened of ideas': Inside the final days of The Project
'Is this your first time in the audience?' I ask the man seated next to me as we wait for The Project to begin broadcasting live from Channel Ten's Melbourne headquarters.
'Actually, it's my 182nd time,' he replies. 'I've been coming since 2016.'
Regular guest presenter Kate Langbroek is the first to recognise this Project superfan.
'Hello!' she says warmly. A few minutes later, hosts Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris and Sam Taunton come over to greet him. 'I'll miss you guys,' he tells them.
Earlier this month, Ten announced the axing of its 16-year-old panel show, which airs for the final time on Friday. But the mood on this chilly Tuesday evening is more gleefully anarchic than glum.
This is no surprise to Harris.
'I had my first axing when I was 19,' she recalls. 'It was a show called Local Edition – unkindly called Limited Edition by some – which lasted three months on Channel Seven. We came into work one morning and they said, 'We're axing the show. It's terrible. Now pack up your desk and leave.' So being able to say a proper goodbye on The Project has been really nice.'
Sitting next to her in Ten's plush green room is Waleed Aly, who became a permanent host in 2015.
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