Sarah Harris ‘tired’ after Network Ten series axing, arrives at Sydney Airport

Project star Sarah Harris cut a sombre figure as she arrived at Sydney airport in the wake of the Network Ten series’ axing.

The Project was unceremoniously axed this week after 16 years on the air. 

And Sarah, 43, who joined the Project in 2023, was spotted arriving back in Sydney from Melbourne on Friday looking almost incognito.

The presenter rugged up against the chilly Sydney weather in a long, dark grey wool overcoat.

She wore this over a plain black top that she had tucked into a pair of loose fitting navy blue jeans.

Sarah also wore a pair of white Adidas sneakers and finished her travel look with a red New York Yankees baseball cap that all but obscured her famous visage. 

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She accessorised with a black leather handbag slung over her shoulder and she was also spotted wheeling a black and white suitcase through the airport terminal.

Keeping the accessories to a minimum, Sarah augmented her look with some subtle gold bling in her ears.

In spite of her uncertain career future, Sarah was spotted smiling as she made her way through the airport.

At one point, she was seen beaming broadly as she offered a passer-by a hearty thumbs up.

Speaking to an awaiting photographer, Sarah revealed that she was eager to get back home.

‘I’m good,’ she said. ‘I’m tired – glad to be home with my boys,’ she smiled.

When asked her thoughts on The Project’s demise, Sarah remained philosophical.

‘It’s TV, I guess,’ she said with a shrug of the shoulders. ‘We’ve had a pretty good run.’ 

It comes after The Project was officially axed this week with the final episode airing on June 27. 

Network 10 announced the news on Monday, sharing a post to Facebook thanking viewers for their support before announcing the show’s replacement.

Hosts Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris and Hamish Macdonald will also reportedly exit the network, while comedian Sam Taunton will continue his guest appearances on other Ten shows.

In the wake of the news, Waleed warned free-to-air television is ‘staring into the abyss’ with the removal of The Project from the airwaves.

In a column for The Age newspaper – that Aly insisted he never really wanted to write – the public intellectual and TV personality warned the Network Ten show’s demise was a consequence of the growing power of the tech giants.

Waleed noted that free-to-air TV was losing audience to streaming services but highlighted a bigger threat: that tech giants, such as Meta and Google, were collecting ‘frankly unconscionable amounts of their users’ personal data’.

Therefore, they could target audiences with better tailored ads than TV ever could.

‘That will remain so for as long as television doesn’t turn the camera on you and monitor your every move,’ Aly wrote.

‘What has inevitably followed is a flight, not so much of audiences, but of advertisers to these tech giants.

There were no tears from the cast on Monday night but Sarah emotionally reflected on her journey with the beleaguered current affairs series, recalling she first appeared in a comedy segment hosted by former The Project star Dave Hughes.

‘My first appearance on this show was as a Dave Hughes funny!’ she said to laughter from her co-stars.

‘I fell over during a media scrum outside court, but I am so grateful that I got to sit on this desk and play TV with all of you.’

She continued: ‘It has been such a fun thing to do, but it is the people who make a show and The Project isn’t just the people on this desk, it is the cast and crew behind the scenes.

‘They’re the real stars. I’m talking, producers, editors and cameramen and women and the floor crew, the people in the control room, the director and the hair and make-up team, all of them who work their guts out every night, six nights a week to get us on air.’

She also spoke about the cancellation and her subsequent exit from the network to the Sydney Morning Herald. 

‘There aren’t many jobs where you get to tell very human stories, and interview politicians and celebrities all while having a laugh – or ugly crying – in front of a live studio audience every night,’ she said.

‘I’ve had a blast, [but] it’s time for me to take a breath and spend some time with my boys. Keep an eye out for my OnlyFans page!’ she then joked.

Former co-host Lisa Wilkinson added: ‘Vale The Project. So many talented people, so many laughs, so many incredibly important stories – many of which may have otherwise never been told.

‘It was a joy and privilege to be a part of it all. My love to everyone, particularly the huge hard-working team behind the scenes. Along with the audience, you were the true heart and soul of the show.’