Lisa Wilkinson shares emotional tribute as Carrie Bickmore announces departure from The Project

Lisa Wilkinson has shared a moving tribute to Carrie Bickmore after the Gold Logie winner announced she was leaving The Project.

The beloved TV presenter fought back tears as she told viewers it was the hardest decision she has had to make in her professional life on Tuesday.

In a sweet Instagram tribute, Lisa shared a photo of the pair riding bikes with a sweet caption describing their long friendship.

‘Long before Carrie Bickmore and I were The Project colleagues, we were mates off air working at different networks,’ she explained.

‘And I feel so lucky to have now also shared the last five years at the Project desk with you, Carrie,’ she went on.

She went on to explain Carrie’s friendship and generosity ‘meant the world’.

‘Thanks too for your guidance and support right from day one… and for always knowing just the right moment to reach out with a kind word,’ she continued.

Lisa added she was ‘in awe’ of the way Carrie managed to juggle a 13 year career of being an ‘awesome mum’ ‘journalist’ and ‘charity patron’.

‘We mere mortals will never know how you did it all with so much grace, good humour and all that glamour,’ she added.

‘I know what a huge decision this has been for you, and we are all going to miss you terribly come year’s end. Can’t wait to see what comes next in your extraordinary life, or to share that next glass of wine – or five – with you!

‘All my love and admiration, always,’ she added.

The Project’s Tommy Little soon joined Lisa’s tribute on Instagram, calling Carrie ‘the best in the business’.

‘The halo effect around Carrie is unparalleled,’ he began, alongside a hilarious throwback image of the pair.

‘She lifts up everyone around her and makes them all look good, something which has served me well for years.

She’s the heart and soul of this show and unless there’s anymore surprise announcements this week I’m stoked to be able to ride these coat tails a little longer with our radio show,’ Tommy concluded.

Carrie’s ‘BFF’ Fifi Box also shared moving words following her departure.

‘So proud of this incredible woman and amazing friend, my BFF Carrie, who has sacrificed so much over the past 13 years to beam into our lounge rooms every night on The Project,’ she began.

‘She is incredible, pure class, an absolute star and every night I sat next to her on the desk I just watched on in awe.

‘This is such a brave and courageous decision to step away but I know there will be so many more exciting adventures to come and lots of family time that you will never regret.’

Comedian Susie Youssef – who is also a beloved party of The Project family – soon followed suit, writing ‘You’re amazing Carrie Bickmore – you will be so ridiculously missed.’

And the announcement was soon inundated with well-wishers.

‘Congratulations superstar! We’ll miss seeing you on The Project, but look forward to all the fabulousness to come,’ wrote Channel 10 entertainment reporter Angela Bishop.

‘Congrats Carrie! You’re an absolute cornerstone of Australian TV and we all love you and will miss you on our screens,’ added Abbie Chatfield.

‘Huge congratulations on a massive achievement love!’ wrote Rebecca Gibney, alongside clapping hand and red love heart emojis.

‘What a woman you are. Grace, strength, humour, humility. Can’t wait to join you for a vino when the dust settles,’ wrote Amanda Keller.

‘Congratulations on a job well done honey. You’ve navigated this role beautifully for 13 years and no doubt you’ll do the same for the next chapter too. Lots of love,’ added Megan Gale.

Channel Seven’s Kylie Gillies also shared kind words, which were soon echoed by other stars from the network.

‘Tough decisions always feel fabulous once you’ve made them. I bet you’re feeling that now. Such admiration for you all ’round. Superstar mum, presenter and woman,’ wrote Kylie

‘Big love Carrie. A delight to watch & work with you on the show,’ added Sunrise weatherman Sam Mac.

‘Congratulations on an incredible tenure! Here’s to your next exciting adventure! Much love xxx,’ added This Is Your Life host Melissa Doyle.

Carrie has been on The Project desk since the program first launched in 2009.

‘I have some news that I wanted to share… s*** I’m already crying,’ she began on Tuesday night.

‘I have made the tough decision to finish up hosting the show at the end of the year.

‘It’s been the hardest decision of my professional life, to make this call, but it’s time for a new challenge and for my next chapter.’

Bickmore said she was going to miss her ‘mates on the desk’ and the ‘wonderful viewers’ who have supported the show for over a decade.

‘It’s no secret that this show has become a second home to me, and I couldn’t be more thankful to everyone that has been involved on and off screen,’ she said.

‘It has been a long journey. I started the show when Ollie, my son, was one, and he’s now 15, which is crazy. And I want to spend more time at home.

‘I want to have more family dinners. I’ll watch the show at home with a glass of wine in hand. I just wanted to say an enormous thank you.

‘It has been an incredible privilege,’ she added.

Bickmore said that while she loved her ‘fulfilling’ job, she wanted to find out who she was without The Project.

‘This show is so much in my DNA, and I don’t know who I am without it,’ she said.

The mother-of-three shares two children, Evie and Adelaide, with her partner Chris Walker, but her eldest son Ollie is from her first marriage to her late husband Greg Lange, who sadly died of brain cancer in 2010.

In March, Bickmore announced she would be taking a few months off to travel through Europe with her children, while being mostly based in London.

‘We’ve been wanting to do it for a while but [the] timing hasn’t been right, but we figure it’s never going to be the perfect time to go,’ she told The Project at the time.

‘It’s something we really want to do before my son starts his final years at school so we’re doing term two in the UK. So I will be off for a couple of months,’ she added.

The family sold their five-bedroom family home in Melbourne just days before announcing her extended leave of absence.

Carrie’s decision to do journalism was inspired by her father, who worked in radio for 24 years, but had previously dreamed of being a ballerina.

Brian Bickmore is one of the founders of the Austereo Network and worked in radio in Adelaide and Melbourne for 24 years before retiring in 2004.

Bickmore won the Gold Logie for the Most Popular Personality on Australian Television in 2015 and used her acceptance speech to honour her late husband Greg who died of brain cancer three years after their son Ollie was born.

She donned a bright blue beanie as she spoke about her desire to raise awareness about the disease, which she said killed eight out of ten people who are diagnosed.

‘In 2010 my husband Greg was one of the unlucky ones. And after a long, long, long battle he died from brain cancer,’ she told the audience.

‘Over ten years I watched him suffer multiple seizures a day, lose feeling down one side of his body. He was an incredibly brave man, he was a great dad.

‘He was a great husband and a great brother. And he was a great friend. But he shouldn’t have had to go through that. No one should have to go through that.

‘Throughout his cancer journey he used to wear a lot of hats — he used to wear a lot of beanies. And that was because he felt embarrassed about his scars and his head.

‘And I used to say to him: “Don’t be embarrassed, scars are really, really cool”. And beanies are also really cool.’

Bickmore called on ‘anyone who works in TV’ to wear a beanie the following day.