Lisa Wilkinson has been a part of the Channel 9 team for more than 10 years, but she has resigned, effective immediately, following a long-running dispute with the network over her contract.
The 57-year-old dropped the bombshell via her Twitter account, with a statement from the network, which outlined the reasons which led to the shock decision.
The message read: "Nine today confirmed we have been unable to meet the expectations of Lisa Wilkinson and her manager on a contract renewal for a further period. We express our gratitude for Lisa for her 10 years with the Today Show are disappointed we find ourselves in this position.
"Nine will be going in another direction and will be considering our options in coming weeks and months."
Ms Wilkinson said: "I want to thank Channel Nine for the privilege of co-hosting the Today Show for the last ten years. I would particularly like to acknowledge my colleagues Karl, Sylvia, Georgie, Tim, Richard, Stevie and Natalia, as well as all the hard-working producers and the entire team behind the cameras - every one of them has contributed to the incredible success of the show over the years."
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Her co-hosts Karl Stefanovic and Sylvia Jeffreys made heartfelt tributes during this morning's Today Show.
Credit: Channel 9/The Today Show
Nine Chief Executive Hugh Marks said the beloved programme wouldn't be where it was without the partnership of Lisa and Karl.
Shortly after the statement was posted on Twitter, the TV host announced she was jumping ship to Channel 10, where she would take up a 'senior hosting and editorial role' from January next year.
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Ms Wilkinson will work alongside Carrie Bickmore, Waleed Aly and Peter Helliar on The Project and The Sunday Project.
Some of Lisa's TV colleagues have praised her for her decision to leave the network.
It's reported her Today Show counterpart Karl Stefanovic was paid $9 million for a three-year contract; according to The Australian, that's more than CEO Hugh Marks is being paid.
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Lisa was understood to be on $1.1 million per year, but Channel Nine had increased it to $1.8 million before discussions stalled.
While they shared the screen every day, a network staffer claimed that Stefanovic's work with 60 Minutes and news meant that they weren't exactly equal.
Appearing on The Project on Channel 10 will probably be a welcomed change for the journalist and TV presenter, as it will mean no more alarms going off in the very early hours of the morning.
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But sadly, it means that the dynamic duo of Karl and Lisa is no more.
Sources: news.com.au, The Australian, Daily Telegraph
