After weeks of speculation, Channel Ten has confirmed that after 16 years on air and more than 4,500 episodes, the final episode of The Project will air on June 27.
In a statement released by the network on June 9, they confirmed that a “revised early evening program” would take its place, with Deal or No Deal now airing in the 7pm slot.
According to TV Blackbox, former Channel Seven journalist Denham Hitchcock will host the program, with the first episode to debut in early July. It will reportedly be called Behind the Lines – A 10-News First Investigation.
“Go behind the headlines with 10 News First as our reporters dig deep to uncover the facts, follow every lead, and expose stories that others try to keep hidden,” the show synopsis reads, according to the publication.
“Hosted by Denham Hitchcock, this investigation series shines a light on issues that matter to Australians – holding the powerful to account with fearless journalism. Real stories. Real impact. The truth, told straight.”
“[There] will be an expansion of Network 10’s successful news coverage, with the launch of a new national one-hour 6pm news, current affairs and insights program six days a week to complement 10’s one-hour 5pm local news bulletins,” 10 wrote in their official statement.
“The recipient of 11 TV WEEK Logie Awards and one Walkley award, The Project led the way with thought-provoking and unique conversations on primetime television covering a myriad of topics including marriage equality, animal welfare, disability awareness, NDIS, and domestic and family violence. ”
“The show has successfully balanced humour and heart with poignant discussions about current affairs and celebrity interviews that had the whole country, and sometimes the world, talking. ”
“The impact that The Project has had on the media and entertainment industry, countless careers, as well as on Australian society and culture, cannot be overstated,” they added.
It was first reported in The Australian on May 26th by journalist Steve Jackson that The Project was facing cancellation following a string of budget cuts at the network.
It is understood that executives at 10 had long been assessing “whether there is any life left in the dying format,” as per The Australian.
In a follow-up report, Inside Media host Robert McKnight reported that while the budget for the show, had been slashed in the 15+ years since it had premiered, it was still one of Channel 10’s most expensive shows and delivers “only a fraction of the audience” compared to rival networks Nine and Seven.
“When you consider how much free publicity the show gets on news websites, each and every day, the fact that it can only draw in a few hundred thousand viewers every night proves the show is failing to resonate,” the journalist shared at the time.
The news follows rumours that the 2026 season of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! Australia would be pre-recorded in an effort to reduce production costs, a first for the series, which has always previously aired live.
