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Waleed Aly takes permanent Project chair

As tipped, The Project has its third permanent host as Waleed Aly joins Carrie and Pete.

2014-12-02_1203As tipped, Waleed Aly has been confirmed as the third permanent host for The Project, joining Carrie Bickmore and Peter Helliar.

Aly, who has been a longtime part-time host, will replace Rove McManus whose four month stint comes to an end.

He assumes the role that has welcomed guest hosts following the departure of Charlie Pickering in April.

Aly, who recently won a Walkley Award for an opinion piece in Fairfax, is well-regarded within TEN. He resigned from his Radio National commitments two weeks ago and his Big Ideas show ended as part of ABC funding cuts.

Readers were evenly divided over the idea of his becoming a permanent third wheel, when TV Tonight tipped him to land the position:

  • Love Waleed! Hope he gets the gig.
  • I’d be keen for him to join the show. I think he’d be great 🙂
  • I think Waleed is a good choice for an ongoing hosting role
    I would be back for the Project if that happened….I like Waleed….have seen his work on the ABC and enjoyed what he did…
  • He is watchable but I just can’t seem to connect with him as a host, and don’t think I could all week.
  • Don’t let him in. Having Waleed Aly makes me switch off The Project.
  • I hope this does not happen. I am not a fan of Waleed and regard his views as exteme left wing.
  • He’s not the strongest host and not the best choice for the permanent host. I have been watching the show pretty much every day since it started but if this happens, I’m afraid they’ll lose me as an avid watcher.

News Corporation is already drawing attention, positively, to his religious background dubbing him “the first Muslim to co-host a major prime time television show on an Australian commercial network.”

According to the man himself, “One of the things that has pleased me most about the whole experience with TEN and The Project is that it (religious and ethnic background) has never come up.”

The show takes a break after next week and Aly will begin on January 26th.

49 Responses

  1. Jennome – I totally agree with you. I know its off topic, but why does the ABC insist on having so many comedians or ex comedians fill their time slots especially when they bring in their ‘B teams’ during the regular presenters’ holiday breaks.

    They all waffle, and I simply turn off and take the dog for a walk!

  2. Dr Rudi, I don’t think anyone ever leaves the ABC voluntarily. This is why we’re stuck with the same old radio announcers forever. For some reason the afternoon spot seems to be reserved for comedians, which is fine if they’re funny, but they’re not. Nobody can be funny all the time. So in Melbourne we have Richard Stubbs waffling on forever; and when he’s not there it’s Dave O’Neill (or similar) doing exactly the same. There’s little content, just waffle. Bloody awful.

    But I digress …………….

  3. Haven’t had the occasion to say this much over the last couple of years, but…well done TEN – great decision! All of the discussion about political bias is academic really, considering the same network lets Bolt do want he wants each week.
    PS Qubec, the panel is spot on – Steve Price is an “old fuddy duddy right wing extremist”.

  4. Hoorah! Waleed has always been my second favourite behind Charlie. I love him not just because of his journalistic cred, but because (unlike pretty much everyone else here) I actually find him funny.

    I really hope he can restore The Project to its former glory because it has been absolutely shite ever since Charlie left.

  5. “After reading some of the comments here I’m a little confused. Why people are happy Waleed is hosting just because he is Muslim.”

    Nobody’s said that in the comments here – in fact, the opposite. A couple of people wondered why Ltd. News bothered to mention it, and hoped people wouldn’t use it as an irrelevant excuse to hate him.

  6. After reading some of the comments here I’m a little confused. Why people are happy Waleed is hosting just because he is Muslim. That makes him better for the job does it? If you like him like for his views or his style not because we have a muslim on a tv show. He is just a bad fit. He is perfect for serious news. Never has the project been serious and thats why people liked it.

  7. I don’t know about Waleed not making some viewers happy …just reading that Kitty Flanagan upset a lot of Project viewers on Tuesday ….with her Santa comment.

  8. He is easily the best candidate for the job. Very happy that TV is finally starting to reflect our mixed culture. A long time coming and very slow but a positive move.

  9. Yep. Understand David….Just merely responding to many comments over time here that Ten is turning to a US fox Right wing network, due to management and Murdoch influences.

  10. I disagree with you a little Qubec. The Project is more than a news show, its also a panel discussion show and that requires presenters to give an opinion. You should hold The Project to the same expectations you hold news bulletins because they are very different beasts.

    At the end of the day people will vote with their remotes. I can’t stand the Bolt Report, that’s why I don’t watch it. I like The Project and full time addition of Waleed Ali makes me like it more. There’s been many a Friday where I might not of watched it but its Waleed’s night I’m going to watch it. Come January I’ll be voting with my remote.

  11. I hate Murdoch for what he has done to network ten as much as anybody. But I have to say you can not accuse him of trying to make ten into a fox/ Murdoch ring wing network with this appointment. Which is good. We want balance!!!

  12. Elle. I find your comments interesting. Most people here do actually find the project a bit left wing. And for your info…. I refuse to watch bolt as he makes me vomit. Unfortunately we currently have a PM who is easy to make fun of. I am getting a bit sick of the amount of stories on the project that result in comments saying the govt needs to fund this and the govt needs to fund that. It’s just becoming a bit repetitive. Maybe limit those stories. I want more good news stories. I want balance in opinions. and would like to see more discussions / debates on social issues between the new lefty full time presenter and right wing price. Let’s get some debate going ( and it does not have to be just politics) and push solutions to be achieved to fix these issues. Thank there are heaps of them.

  13. Quite the debate here, David.

    I hope, like Elle, that he makes people think. With Big Ideas being axed, hopefully some of those stories can be represented or discussed on The Project. Lots of the stories I’ve seen on the show as of late do make people think.
    I also agree with H.M, I really hope the corny/not funny jokes stop. And as Oztvheritage said, please stop Waleed yelling like a little boy to get his point across.

    Lastly, as many of you said, the Project needs balance.

    If Steve Price is on, then Waleed Ali will be his balance. Carrie is a very neutral newsreader (IMO), as was Rove, whilst Pete rips into everything; he his job as the satirical comedian well. When Mia Freedman is on, the show may become very Leftist, but that’s what, once a week? I’m sure we’ll all live.

  14. Waleed is a good news anchor and is very smart. He just needs to stop trying hard to be funny because that is not his strength. He is good with serious news and should play to his strengths. Let the others do the comedy moments.

    “Andrew Bolt is a news commenter. He isn’t reporting the news, he is commenting on it.”

    Then why would they name his show “The Bolt Report?”

  15. Quebec, The Project is light entertainment dressed up as news. They show funny clips, have regular comedian spots and actors on promoting their latest films. As far as I can tell, their brief news segments do present the news neutrally. When the panel then discusses the news (ie gives their opinions) are they not then acting as commentators, the same as Bolt?

  16. Best news ever. I always made sure I saw Friday nights when Waleed was hosting. I would have characterised him as less left-wing than Charlie was, so I don’t know why everyone’s getting so up in arms. It’s not new to the Project.

    Now, if we could just have Lehmo permanently instead of cringeworthy Helliar, things would be perfect.

  17. Actually kiddies, Waleed is as entitled to have his opinion as is Andrew Bolt. The Project commentates on news from many viewpoints from right to left and variations in between. The News is the show that is on prior to Family Feud.

    If you’re seething about Waleed Aly being on The Project then job done – you’re talking about it and that is exactly what the show is after

  18. It’s rather surprising how many people on this comment section don’t understand the difference between a news presenter and news commenter. Waleed Aly is meant to be a news presenter- as such, he should present the news in a balanced and fair manner. Andrew Bolt is a news commenter. He isn’t reporting the news, he is commenting on it. It’s his right to say whatever he wants. It’s his opinion and he’s free from being balanced because of it. The Project should be a news show first and foremost. It should present the news neutrally.

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