Latest news with #10NewsPlus
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
10 News+ host Denham Hitchcock hits back at viewers criticising his new current affairs show amid low ratings
Denham Hitchcock has hit back at viewers criticising his new program 10News+. The reporter, who was announced as the face of the show alongside Amelia Brace in June, responded to two followers who left brutal comments on his Instagram page. One social media user accused the presenter of sharing 'fake news' via the fresh news platform. However, the 48-year-old didn't hold back, asking: 'Which stories have you seen on this program that have been fake?' Another troll slammed Denham for his vaccine stance, writing: 'How are we supposed to believe you @denhamhitchcock? From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'You were vaccine injured and decided to take a payout over the truth! At a time when millions of people needed popular voices to tell the truth … you tried … then took off on your yacht,' the person wrote. Denham, who was hospitalised in 2021 after experiencing a rare side effect called pericarditis following his initial two Pfizer jabs, took aim at the accusation in a fiery response. 'What payout you tool? I quit my job and went sailing to spend time with my family.' He went on: 'I am still looking into all this – I just don't believe everything I read like you do. It takes time to prove this stuff. Not just rant. Grow up.' Earlier this month, it was reported that 10 News+ had been savaged in the ratings following its premiere. The current affairs program, slotted in to replace The Project after it was sensationally axed following 16 years on air, was watched by a paltry 291,000 people, according to ratings released by OzTAM. Channel Nine and Channel Seven dominated the time slot, with 7News attracting 1.5million viewers, and 9News following closely with 1.45million viewers. 10News+'s figures only got worse, dropping to 244,000 by the following Tuesday and sliding further still to 205,000 by midweek. Later in the week, ratings kept skidding into oblivion, with just 159,000 national viewers tuning in. By Friday, the situation was decidedly grim, with only 152,000 viewers switching on the in-depth news program. The first night figures shocked industry insiders, after the show heavily promoted its investigation into Australian mother Debbie Voulgaris, who has been jailed for 16 years after smuggling 7kg of drugs into Taiwan. The show's hosts opened the episode by telling the audience what they can expect from the hard-hitting program.
News.com.au
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘Nuclear': Network 10's desperate bid to save 10 News+ as show loses half its viewers
Channel 10 bosses have been left scrambling after pinning all their hopes on The Project's replacement, 10 News+, only for it to become a total bomb. The show, fronted by journalists Amelia Brace and Denham Hitchcock, has been panned by viewers who have switched over in droves following its debut on June 30. According to a TV insider, Network 10 has flailed following horrendous ratings. The audience The Project was still attracting has halved within a fortnight, in what can only be labelled an unmitigated disaster for executives. While it was announced last week that Georgie Tunny would be joining the show, an insider claimed she's set to become the face of the already-ailing show in a bid to win back The Project's audience. 'She's the one they're betting on,' a production source told The Daily Mail. 'She has the polish, she's already known to viewers, and she connects in a way that Denham and Amelia haven't managed to.' 'They wanted a fresh start, but they didn't realise how loyal The Project's audience still was – and how brutal the 6pm slot is,' a former 10 producer said, adding the network is 'scrambling'. 'Everyone's talking like it's (10's failed breakfast TV program) Wake Up all over again – and we all know how that ended.' Publicly, Network 10 has insisted that attracting new viewers is 'a marathon, not a sprint', but the insider added that behind the scenes 'even Paramount bosses in LA' have been forced to step in. 'There's real concern that if this tanks completely, it could kill 10's news investment for years,' they said. A 10 spokesperson said last week that the network was 'taking a long-term, multi-platform view of audience development'. 'Building a loyal news audience takes time, and we are prepared for gradual growth as audiences discover and connect with our unique approach to news delivery across many platforms,' they said in a statement. '10 is fully committed to 10 News+. This is a marathon, not a sprint. We are investing in building a sustainable, quality multi-platform news service that will grow and evolve with our audience's needs over time.' Last Tuesday evening, 10 News+ recorded an average of 244,000 viewers, before attracting 205,000 on Wednesday and 159,000 on Thursday. Numbers dipped again on Friday, with an average audience of just 152,000.
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The Project makes huge backflip as lone ranger takes up the mantle of continuing axed show
The Project aired its final show on June 27, but within days, an anonymous social media manager had taken up the mantle of continuing its legacy. In early June, Network 10 announced that the popular news panel show would come to an end after 16 years on the air and 4,500 episodes. But it was an anonymous Ten employee who had the last laugh. 'The bosses really should have changed the password from Password1,' the first taunting post from The Project's new keeper read. In the caption, the admin who calls themselves 'the social media hero', teased their TV bosses: 'Look who's in charge now.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The official Project Instagram account has 401,000 followers, a larger audience than either The Project, or its replacement 10 News+, draws. 10 News+ launched with a whimper last week - with just a measly 291,000 Australians tuning in for the much-hyped news program on its first night and the ratings sliding from there. As the new series limped through its first week on-air, The Project's new overlord posted an update: 'Still cancelled. Still curious.' 'I have nobody to share the silly news I see from around the world with,' the mysterious admin penned. 'That, and the other things we should be discussing… Shall I just post the things that interest/make me laugh anyway?' Former The Project host Sam Taunton was quick to respond: 'Do you know if I left my wallet in the office????' 'I stole the money but yes,' The Project TV replied. 'I will DM you my CV,' Taunton added in a joking reference to his axing. The Project fans have flocked to the axed TV show's Instagram account in support of the rogue Ten employee who is now managing the account The response online has been immense. People love an anonymous Gossip Girl in real life, as much as they do in fiction. As with (formerly anonymous) Instagram accounts 'Miss Double Bay' and 'Pink Patti Cakes', the anonymous The Project has reeled in quite the audience. 'I just assumed the news stopped when we did,' Rove McManus commented. Even The Feed SBS' social media manager joined in on the fun: 'Hi from the other youth news show that got cancelled in the 2010s. We should get a beer.' The Bachelor star Matty 'J' Johnson said he 'feels like I'm speaking to the ghost of a deceased relative.' In the past week, The Project TV's Instagram has covered such news as a Sydney woman being knocked down by a cardboard box in the 'bomb' cyclone, Kanye West's Australian visa cancellation, and the 'hero' Aussie who spent $6500 fuelling his Guzman Y Gomez addiction. However, the flurry of posts has certainly confused some viewers, who assumed the activity signalled hope for The Project on TV. 'So...I posted a few things. People noticed. Slightly more than I expected,' the social media 'hero' posted in another update over the weekend. 'Turns out, there's a lot of news. Whether it's serious stuff, the weird stuff, the did that actually happen?! stuff. I reckon we have enough to fill a few posts a you seem to like it? 'So here's the deal: I post news. You read it, laugh, comment, and maybe have a little existential crisis (optional), and we keep building a space that feels smart, sharp, and not sad all the time. 'Sounds good? Want more? Say the word. And if you don't...I'll keep pretending you my mental health.' 'Want to come along for the ride & be silly while being smart?,' the admin asked in the caption. 'Let me know, ideally before bedtime.' 'In!' former host Rachel Corbett commented, alongside hundreds of others. While there is already talk that 10News+ might not make it to 2026, Ten appears to have struck the right chord by rebranding The Project as a social-first platform, similar to The Daily Aus.
News.com.au
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘Disaster': Network 10 could ‘pull the plug' on 10News+ after disastrous first week ratings
Numerous executives at Network 10 reportedly believe that replacing The Project with a hard news show has been a 'big screw up'. 10 News+ began last week on the channel after The Project aired its final episode, but sadly for the network the ratings were lacklustre at best. It reflected on social media too, where criticism of the new show was swift and cutting from viewers. Launching with just 291,000 viewers, it continued to decline throughout the week, eventually being surpassed by a regional offering. According to insiders at 10, the original proposal was to replace The Project with a five-nights-a-week version of The Cheap Seats. However, after much deliberation, bosses at 10 decided to opt for a hard news show instead. 'They screwed up ... and that probably wasn't the right foundation for what was needed to triumph in that timeslot,' 10 insider told Daily Mail Australia. 'Everyone felt rushed. It was clear the format wasn't ready but they needed something fast to replace and justify the budget cuts.' Things have reportedly gone so bad after the show's first week on air that insiders at the network believe the show won't last out the year. 'There's already talk that they'll pull the plug once the ratings come in,' added the insider, while another called the show a 'total disaster' for Network 10. Martin White, vice president of broadcast news at Paramount and EP Daniel Sutton are the two faces thought to be facing the most heat from the new show's poor showing. 'Disaster. An EP who has never produced anything before. Hosts who have never hosted anything before,' they said. 'I watched it last night – it's genuinely terrible. Day one – stillborn. Day two – buried. Martin's masterpiece.'' A spokesperson for Network 10said they recognise that building up an audience is a 'marathon and not a sprint'. 'Daniel Sutton is a seasoned journalist and producer with 25 years' experience. Network 10 is proud to invest in its staff and promote talented executives.' 'Ten is taking a long-term, multi-platform view of audience development. Building a loyal news audience takes time, and we are prepared for gradual growth as audiences discover and connect with our unique approach to news delivery across many platforms. 'Ten is fully committed to 10 News+. This is a marathon, not a sprint. We are investing in building a sustainable, quality multi-platform news service that will grow and evolve with our audience's needs over time.'
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The Project's replacement 10 News+ proves a complete disaster for the network as ratings plunge to devastating low
Channel Ten 's new program 10 News+ has dived even further in the ratings after a disappointing first week. The hard-hitting current affairs series, hosted by former Channel Seven reporters Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace, launched last week a national average audience of just 291,000. Those figures have only gotten worse, dropping to 244,000 by Tuesday and sliding further still to 205,000 by mid week. Thursday's ratings keep skidding into oblivious, with just 159,000 national viewers tuning in. On Friday, the situation was decidedly grim, with only 152,000 viewers switching on the in-depth news program. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The current affairs program was slotted in to replace The Project after it was sensationally axed after 16 years. The early figures have shocked industry insiders, after the show heavily promoted its investigation into Australian mother Debbie Voulgaris, who has been jailed for 16 years after smuggling 7kg of drugs into Taiwan. Meanwhile, a very healthy 478,000 viewers tuned in last Friday to watch The Project's emotional finale. It's not good news for the program after KIIS FM radio host Kyle Sandilands, 54, slammed the first episode, claiming it was difficult to watch. 'Being a Channel Seven network employee, I still committed to watch 7News but I recorded 10News+ and went back to watch it,' he explained on his radio show on Tuesday. 'I know it was the first episode and it's tough to critique the first, but it was weird. It was like ABC TV had sex with Ron Burgundy and that's what came out.' Kyle said the news series didn't air 'one story I cared about.' 'They are nice folks at Channel 10, but they want to be this high and mighty. I wanted to give it a go, but I felt like it missed the mark,' he continued. His co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson defended the series and insisted viewers should 'give it a chance'. 'I bet if you listened to the first show of you and [me], it would have been sh*t. You need to give things a chance,' she said. The show also received mixed reviews from other viewers upon airing its debut episode last week, with many sharing their thoughts on X. Several compared 10 News+ to A Current Affair with one posting: 'This is like ACA. Going to people's houses to talk and them avoiding the cameras.' 'You replaced The Project with a Temu ACA not seeing @theprojecttv is incredibly depressing. 10news+ sucks!' complained another viewer. Someone else said: 'This is proper @Channel7 style commercial JUNK. It's like watching a cross between Fox News and Anchorman. Why the silly 'news' voices!?' One more person tuning in at home asked: 'Anyone else bored so far?' while someone else said, 'please no more long investigation reports it's 6pm'. 'Oh dear. I thought I would give 10 News Plus a go. I feel like we have regressed 20 years! An inauthentic painfully choreographed attempt at current affairs!' one said. 'Dribble. Won't last the year' a viewer said with another adding, 'Felt like it was a Comedy Company parody from the 80s. The fist pump at the end? Yikes.' Not everyone was so negative with one fan writing: 'Loving @10NewsPlus - strong launch story. Is this the new Schapelle Corby story we all need to know about. 10 news should be very proud.' The show's hosts, recently poached Seven journalists Hitchcock and Brace, opened the episode by telling the audience what they can expect from the hard-hitting program. 'Firstly, we're not here to tell you what to think, to scare or depress you' Hitchcock said. 'We will give you facts, information you can trust – the truth,' Brace added. 'Of course, we are a daily news program, so you won't miss the stories that matter,' Hitchcock went on. 'But we are also digging deeper with investigations and original reporting you won't see anywhere else,' Brace said.
