Senior media executive says Lisa Wilkinson has committed ‘professional suicide’

Lisa Wilkinson is reportedly eager to make a comeback on television after a long absence due to an ongoing legal battle for the past five weeks.

She is said to be keen on resuming her role in conducting “blockbuster interviews” in the upcoming year, as revealed by close sources.

While some, like Peter Meakin, believe that the ex Today Show host's loyal followers will be happy to watch her shine on screen again, a senior TV media executive, while opting for anonymity, expressed skepticism.

This individual claimed that Wilkinson may have committed “professional suicide” with the recent controversy, complicating her potential return to the screen.

Having left The Project in November last year, the anchor has been absent from Channel 10 for a considerable 13 months, despite remaining on the network's payroll until the end of 2024.

Throughout her extended hiatus, she has however managed to stay in the public eye, primarily because of her involvement in the said high-profile defamation trial.

The legal dispute involves Bruce Lehrmann, who sued both Network 10 and Wilkinson over an interview with Brittany Higgins after she alleged that she had been assaulted in Parliament House “by a Liberal staffer” in 2019.

With the trial’s conclusion on Friday, the judge has given the ruling in the TV personality's favor, but some fellow colleagues still doubt her return.