The New Zealand version of The Project has been cancelled after six years on the air and on Friday night the show’s cast bid their final farewell.
There were tears and laughter from hosts Jeremy Corbett, Kanoa Lloyd and Jesse Mulligan as a final half hour special aired.
‘We never imagined it would last this long but in other ways it feels like we’ve been doing it forever,’ Mulligan said.
Lloyd repeatedly became tearful including when sometime host Kate Rodger said, ‘by crikey we’re really going to miss you guys’.
She broke down again when asked to pick her favourite moments from the show, and she replied emotionally that she, ‘couldn’t pick a moment’.
The New Zealand version of The Project has been cancelled after six years on the air and on Friday night the show’s cast bid their final farewell. Pictured: hosts Jesse Mulligan, Kanoa Lloyd and Jeremy Corbett
‘In seven years, my life has changed because of this show,’ she said.
‘I’m going to miss the people here. My wonderful friends. My brothers on the desk. And you. Thank you for watching us.’
Mulligan signed off for good with, ‘To you, Aotearoa, New Zealand, thank you for watching.’
The nightly current affairs show, based on the Australian series of the same name, first premiered on the Three network in February 2017.
There were tears and laughter from hosts Jeremy Corbett, Kanoa Lloyd and Jesse Mulligan as a final half hour special aired. ‘We never imagined it would last this long but in other ways it feels like we’ve been doing it forever,’ Mulligan said
Lloyd repeatedly became tearful including when sometime host Kate Rodger said, ‘by crikey we’re really going to miss you guys’
The news program will wrap up by the end of 2023, production company Warner Bros Discovery announced in October.
‘We have commenced consultation to discontinue The Project on Three from the end of the year,’ a spokesperson said.
‘Our primary focus is to support our people as we work through this process.’
The move will see about 24 job losses in total from the network’s Three HQ, based in the North Island city of Auckland.
The Project New Zealand did not air for one night after the announcement to allow staff to digest the news, reported the New Zealand Herald.
The nightly current affairs show, based on the Australian series of the same name, first premiered on the Three network in February 2017
Three pays a hefty licensing fee to use The Project brand created by Roving Enterprises, the production company owned by Rove McManus.
The cancellation will free up funds for a cheaper news show without an expensive, foreign-owned licence.
The Project New Zealand is hosted by Jesse Mulligan and Kanoa Lloyd, along with a rotating panel of guest presenters.
The New Zealand television industry has faced numerous cutbacks this year, as challenging economic conditions hit the media.
The Australian version of The Project has been the subject of cancellation rumours for years due to its declining ratings.
The Australian version of The Project has been the subject of cancellation rumours for years due to its declining ratings. Pictured are hosts Waleed Aly and Sarah Harris
However, at its Upfronts presentation earlier this week, Channel Ten committed to another year of screening the show.
While the program is safe – for now – there are still rumours it could be bumped to a later timeslot to make way for a rebooted Deal or No Deal, hosted by Grant Denyer.
Once Ten’s flagship news show, The Project has been on a downward trend for years.
Ratings have steadily fallen from 2022 to 2023, shedding one third of its national audience over the last 18 months.
A year ago, The Project lost most of its star power with the departure of long-serving hosts Carrie Bickmore, Peter Helliar and Lisa Wilkinson.
READ MORE: Channel 10 insiders leak news that The Project could be bumped for a TV game show revival
A year ago, The Project lost most of its star power with the departure of long-serving hosts Carrie Bickmore (left), Peter Helliar (centre right) and Lisa Wilkinson (right)
