Waleed Aly says he 'led The Project into a ditch' as Peter Helliar returns to pays emotional tribute to his former co-star on second last show
The comedian and former panellist, who quit the show in 2022, paid heartfelt tribute to his former co-star Waleed Aly.
'I will say this to you, Waleed, in particular. I'm a better person for having you in my life. I really mean that' an emotional Peter said.
'You are an incredible human being a great mate' he continued.
'It's been extraordinary to be on the desk with you... And Carrie (Bickmore), we shared a lot of those years together, seeing you doing your thing and doing it so well.'
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, .
Gorgi Coghlan, also a former star of the show, likewise appeared on the episode and paid her own tribute to Waleed for his gusto in leading the show for a decade.
'I reiterate what Pete said, siting next to you every single night, being able to do this show was a master class in how to be an extraordinary human' she said.
'Thank you for everything that you've done for all of us, because you have led this show from go to woe and just been such an honour to sit next to you'.
A coy Waleed chimed in with a joke: 'I think you would agree I ultimately led it into a ditch!'
After more than a decade fronting The Project, Waleed is bracing himself for life after prime-time TV and the reality of being home in time for dinner.
Speaking to Stellar, the 46-year-old broadcaster revealed that while he had a little more notice than some, the show's cancellation still came as a sudden shock.
'I only knew for less than a week before it was public. So it was all fairly sudden,' he said.
'The hardest day was definitely the day it was announced – that's when you are in the room with all your colleagues. People that you've worked with, in some cases, for more than a decade.'
While Aly admitted the situation isn't unique to the television industry, he said the emotional weight of the announcement was felt deeply - especially by his own family.
'That's what's added to the emotional weight of all this, because my kids grew up through this show,' he said. 'And talking to the kids about it was actually harder than I expected. It hit them in a way that I didn't quite anticipate.'
Aly, who shares two children - Aisha, 22, and Zayd, 18 – with wife Susan Carland, said returning to a regular home routine is a bittersweet adjustment.
After years of missing family dinners due to his evening work schedule, he's preparing for a lifestyle shift that includes more cooking – and plenty of cleaning.
'I look forward to cooking more but it's scary contemplating the mountains of dishes I will have to get through. It's hard to see past them,' he said.
Aly also acknowledged that his children are now young adults and likely beyond the age of wanting to spend much time with their parents, making the show's end feel like a missed opportunity to reclaim lost time.
Despite the changes, Aly said he recognises that job losses and major career shifts are a part of life across all industries.
'This isn't a unique experience to us,' he added. '[It] happens across lots of industries and in lots of workplaces. It's sad every time.'
After more than a decade fronting The Project, Waleed is bracing himself for life after prime-time TV and the reality of being home in time for dinner
The Project will air its final episode with Aly on Friday night.
The Project has been pulled from the schedule after 16 years and more than 4,500 episodes.
Meanwhile, Channel Ten is moving forward with its major re-brand as the network prepares to launch a new current affairs show.
The Project hosts Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris and Hamish Macdonald are set to exit the network, while comedian Taunton will continue his guest appearances on other Ten shows.
Its final episode is set to air on June 27, and will be replaced by a single national 6pm news show.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Hollywood star's ‘nepo-niece' begs for a job and admits she's unemployed after ‘stupid' decision to move to London
AN A-list Hollywood star's niece is begging for a job after making a "stupid" decision to move from Australia to London. Lucia Hawley, 26, quit her gig as a host of digital show 7Bravo before moving to the UK. 4 She's yet to land a job in Blighty but insists the big life change feels "freeing". She wrote on Substack, "On June 18, I officially made the move to London. On paper, this is a totally stupid decision, and honestly, frightens me (someone hire me pls). 'I am risk-averse, which means my body quite literally rejects the idea of both moving overseas being unemployed.' Lucia, whose auntie is Nicole Kidman, left her boyfriend, Henry, Down Under though spoke glowingly of his unwavering support and the way he has shaped her view of the world. She wrote, 'Saying goodbye to Henry was incredibly difficult (I am traumatized by airport goodbyes). Even harder were the goodbyes to my family — I kissed my little brothers through floods of tears,' 'It is exciting and freeing and kind of what life is all about. I believe home to be a feeling… Having a strong network of people who support you is what truly enables you to navigate the world with confidence and self-assurance.' Bachelor star Bella Varelis has replaced Lucia on 7Bravo, on which she would regularly report from red carpet events and interview famous names. Explaining why she decided to leave the role, Lucia said, "Well, truthfully, the first six months of the year were difficult for me career-wise. "I lacked direction and faced numerous rejections in the pursuit of something better. This period was pretty taxing on my confidence, and I eventually began to feel like there was just simply not much left for me in Sydney (at least for now)." Last year Lucia went viral for getting flustered while chatting to Elvis heartthrob Austin Butler. Nicole Kidman breaks down in tears making emotional tribute to her late parents as she accepts prestigious award The charismatic American fired off a series of questions and asked if they'd met before as she looked familiar. And more recently she was snapped looking annoyed after missing out on an interview with Ariana Grande at the Sydney premiere of Wicked. The TV star, who once had an internship at Vogue Australia, has experience of being on the other side of the carpet rope due to her close relationship with Kidman. Last year she attended the actress's AFI Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony in LA and six months later she reportedly spent time at Kidman's Nashville home. An emotional Kidman was presented her AFI award by Meryl Streep, herself a recipient in 2004. Speaking at the ceremony, she said, 'It is a privilege to make films. And glorious to have made films and television with these storytellers who allowed me to run wild and be free and play all of these unconventional women. 'Thank you for making me better at my craft and giving me a place, however temporary, in this world.' 4 4
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
See which AFL teams will be exposed in a new documentary series by the makers of the smash-hit Drive to Survive
AFL fans are in for a treat, as it has been revealed that a new all-access docu-series about footy's top-flight is coming to our screens. According to SEN, the production company, Box to Box Films, behind the smash-hit Netflix series 'Drive to Survive' has already commenced work on a brand new AFL series that will be aired on Amazon Prime Video. Box to Box Films are an Emmy-winning producer based in London. They are reportedly in Australia and are working with five footy clubs. As of March 2025, 'Drive to Survive', Netflix's viewing data report suggests that Series Five of the show has gained over 90,000,000 viewing hours since it was launched in 2019. And as the AFL looks to innovate on how it can broaden its audiences globally, footy chiefs will be hoping that they can drive up some big numbers. SEN has also revealed the footy clubs that producers will be working with, and only one Victorian club is included in the roster. Fremantle, GWS Giants, Gold Coast and the reigning premiers, Brisbane will all feature in the documentary, alongside the Western Bulldogs. It is also understood that the series will revolve around the star players in each team. Marcus Bontempelli is being rumoured to have a spotlight in the series, alongside GWS star Toby Greene. Instead of focusing on the clubs, the new programme, which is yet to be named, will delve into the lives of the players and how they have risen to the top of professional footy. The AFL has previously engaged producers and streaming giants, like Amazon, to produce a series delving into the lives of players in the league. Back in 2021, the 'Making Their Mark' docu-series was released on Amazon and featured Eddie Betts and Nic Naitanui, while also going behind the scenes at the Crows and GWS. While we wait for more details to drop on which players will be involved in the show, one Freo star has revealed he will not be participating. 'I can't say it will involve me too much,' Sam Switkowski told the West Australian. 'I haven't noticed any extra cameras or anything like that, so I'm not too sure who will be in it. 'It will be good for the club, good for the sport as a whole, to be able to see a little bit more of what goes on for our fans and members.'
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Guess who is playing Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis now… after Natalie Portman and Katie Holmes did it first
Jackie O - also known as Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis - is being portrayed once again for a new movie. The former First Lady of the United States has been played in the past by many A-list Hollywood actresses. They include Natalie Portman in the 2016 film Jackie, Katie Holmes in the 2011 mini-series The Kennedys, and Minka Kelly in the 2013 film The Butler. Other actresses who have played Jackie Kennedy include Jaclyn Smith, Roma Downey, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Ginnifer Goodwin. Now an Australian star is taking on the role. A first photo of her appeared this week. Can you guess who it is? The actress is 56-year-old Naomi Watts. She is playing the late New Yorker in the Ryan Murphy project American Love Story, which premieres in February 2026. Onassis was a writer, book editor, and socialite who served as the first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. Jackie died in 1994 at the age of 64 in New York City. Blonde actress Watts sported a brown wig as she transformed into Jackie. Watts was filming a scene in a park on Monday afternoon in New York City. Also in the movie is Paul Kelly, who will play Jackie's son John F. Kennedy Jr. Grace Gummer, who is playing Jackie's daughter Caroline Kennedy, was also seen playing in the park with two little girls that are playing Caroline's daughters Rose and Tatiana. American Love Story will follow JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's whirlwind romance. The couple passed away in a plane crash in 1999 when she was 33 and he was 38. Sarah Pidgeon, 29, is playing Carolyn. JFK Jr's ex-girlfriend Daryl Hannah is being played by Dree Hemingway, 37, whose mother is actress Mariel Hemingway. She gained attention playing the lead in director Sean Baker's feature Starlet. She has since become known for her high-profile fashion campaigns and her extensive work in independent film. This comes after Watts said she wants women to 'not fear and dread menopause'. The actress has launched a new campaign - which focuses on menopause solutions - for her wellness brand Stripes Beauty, and Naomi wants to remind women to 'hold [their] heads high' regardless of their age. The movie star told People: 'Our minds, our experience, our sense of self, all of these things cumulatively add up to a bolder, wiser version of yourself, which makes you hotter than ever. 'And there's a play on words of course, because yes, we are fanning ourselves as we go into hot flashes. But it's also a time we should feel good about ourselves, hold our heads high and not fear and dread menopause like we have been taught by society and previous generations.' Despite this, Naomi admits that her outlook hasn't always been so optimistic. The actress said: 'I went into menopause or perimenopause super early and felt a lot of shame and no real sense of ways to communicate, not with my friends, my mother or even doctors. 'Women in this stage - perimenopause and beyond - have often felt left out. When our hormones stop functioning the way they used to, it's like we become redundant, expected to disappear. There's just a whole lot of negative messaging, which feels so out of date now. And as we know, we're more than our fertility. We are not invisible.' Earlier this year, Naomi claimed that embracing ageing has actually helped her to become more successful in Hollywood. The film star told Good Housekeeping magazine: 'I think the longer the life, the deeper it gets, and the roles tend to reflect that in terms of storytelling and playing all these dynamic women.
