At a glance
- 10 News+ was the replacement current affairs show for The Project.
- From 10 August, the series will move to a Sunday evening episode only. and public areas.
- Its anchors Amelia Brace and Denham Hitchcock will front the Sunday night episode.
- 10 News and the 5pm local news bulletin will expand to take its airtime during the week.
Ten has gone through a range of updates on its slate in recent months. First there was the cancellation of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here Australia (since rescued). Then there was the news of Robert Irwin and Ten journalist Georgie Tunny taking on the hosting of a rebooted Australian Ninja Warrior. Now, it has broken that its struggling replacement for The Project is being dropped from weekdays from 10 August.
Instead, the beleaguered news show will air on Sunday nights only. So it’s not technically cancelled. However, TV Tonight reports that five people will be impacted by the change. The remaining staff will presumably continue working within the 10 News team.
The core cast of Amelia Brace, Denham Hitchcock, Ashleigh Raper, and Georgie Tunny will continue in the Sunday show.
Georgie Tunny joined 10 News+ as its weekend anchor in July. As a frequent face on The Project, hers was a welcome addition to its team.
“I’ve always been a fan of news delivered differently,” said Georgie at the time. “I am excited to be staying with the 10 family. Can’t wait to see where this new chapter leads!”
Ten announced 10NEWS+ mere days after announcing the cancellation of its primetime current affairs show The Project after a run of more than 15 years.
Its main anchors are veteran journalists Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace. They anchor from Sunday to Thursday. Fridays were anchored by senior journalist and news anchor Ursula Heger and national affairs editor Hugh Riminton.
Amelia left Channel Seven after 17 years to join the news team. She wrote in a post to her Instagram: “After 17 years at Seven it’s time for a new adventure, looking forward to delivering something different with the 10 NEWS+ team!”
Denham also shared the news on his Instagram. There, he noted that “And the plan is we will also be on the road full time which suits us just fine.” So, we can expect some roving reporting from the new show. Throughout his career, Denham has covered everything from the front lines in Iraq and Syria to mass shootings and presidential campaigns in the United States, where he was the US correspondent for Nine.
In a statement from Network 10, Amelia said, “Denham and I are not just presenters; we’re journalists. Between us, there’s little we haven’t covered. We’ll be sharing not just information but understanding. The facts, but also context and background. The 10 NEWS+ team is as exciting as it is exceptional. I’m looking forward to bringing together this wealth of experience to tell stories differently each night.”
In addition to the main anchors, the wider team included Ashleigh Raper, Bill Hogan, Brianna Parkins, Samantha Butler, Carrie-Anne Greenbank, and Claudia Vrdoljak. Plus, the network’s entertainment editor, Angela Bishop, had joined. She reports on everything from red carpet coverage to in-studio interviews with celebrities and more.
However, despite its stacked cast, the show failed to capture the audience of The Project and the 5 pm News Bulletin. In its slot, 10 News will now air for 90 minutes, with the 5pm news bulletin getting more “resources” to cover local stories in more detail.
“From Monday, August 10, 10 News will expand to 90 minutes from Monday to Friday, with more resources being invested into the local 5pm news bulletin to deliver audiences more of the local stories, breaking news and in-depth reporting they rely on,” a spokesperson said. “10 News+ remains our weekly news and current affairs program on Sunday nights at 6.30pm. It will continue to provide viewers with compelling investigations and long-form journalism, reporting that remains central to 10’s news offering. Amelia Brace and Denham Hitchcock will continue to front 10 News+ on Sunday.”
