Lisa Wilkinson has quit Channel Nine's Today program. Credit:Jacky Ghossein Wilkinson's poaching shocked industry executives, and is understood to have caught Nine unawares. The move was driven by Ten's Australian bosses. However, the network's soon-to-be owner – US corporation CBS – considers Wilkinson to have major star potential. She has been likened to heavy-hitters Diane Sawyer and Katie Couric, and could be asked to do big political and showbiz interviews. When it comes to Hollywood celebrities, Wilkinson won't be short of options – CBS has a stable of high-profile talent. This is the clearest sign yet that Ten intends to compete with Seven and Nine by investing in content, rather than just slashing costs.

Karl Stefanovic and co-host Wilkinson in 2011. Credit:Louie Douvis "You can imagine how worried we were when [Ten] went into receivership," an employee told Fairfax Media. "But this is good news. Lisa was one of Nine's biggest stars, so this is a real coup for us. She'll fit perfectly into Ten. She's funny and sharp and a really good interviewer." Today's Lisa Wilkinson and husband Peter FitzSimons recently said 'I do' ... again. Credit:Mia Freedman/Instagram The popular presenter joined Today in May of 2007. With co-host Karl Stefanovic, she steadily lifted ratings to make it the most-watched breakfast program in the major cities last year.

Fairfax Media understands her negotiations with Nine stalled, in part, because the network refused to pay her a salary equal to Stefanovic's. There are rumours her deal with Ten makes her the highest-paid woman on Australian TV, but this has not been confirmed. Wilkinson joined Today as co-host in 2007. Credit:Nine In a statement, the Ten network said: "Lisa will join the team of Ten's award-winning news and current affairs program, The Project, in a hosting role. She will work alongside The Project's hosts Carrie Bickmore, Waleed Aly and Peter Helliar, as well as hosting The Sunday Project." The Project was recently expanded to six nights a week, airing in the 6.30pm slot Sunday to Friday. Ten will announce other roles for Wilkinson in the coming months. Ten's chief content officer, Beverley McGarvey, said: "Lisa Wilkinson is one of the most respected journalists and television presenters in Australia and we are thrilled that she has agreed to join Ten's fantastic stable of on-air talent.

"In a career that has spanned magazines, radio, television and digital media, Lisa has established her credentials as a leading figure in the Australian media industry. She has a great connection to the Australian public and a reputation that is second to none. We are proud that she has agreed to join the acclaimed team at The Project and The Sunday Project." Earlier, Wilkinson tweeted a statement from Nine: "[We] 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 to Lisa for her 10 years with the Today show and are disappointed we find ourselves in this position. "Nine will be going in another direction and we will consider our options in the coming weeks and months.

"Today show is one of the biggest roles there is in television and requires an enormous commitment from its hosts. "The partnership between Lisa and Karl has taken the show to the success it is today and we thank Lisa for everything she has done for the show and for Nine over the past ten years. We wish her well for the future," said Nine CEO Hugh Marks. Wilkinson said: "I want to thank Channel Nine for the privilege of co-hosting the Today show for the last 10 years.

"I would particularly like to acknowledge my colleagues Karl, Sylvia, Georgie, Tim, Richard, Stevie and Natalia, as well as all the hardworking producers and the entire team behind the cameras – every one of them has contributed to the incredible success of the show over the years. "Most particularly I want to thank the Today show audience, who have been so supportive and incredibly loyal to me over the last decade. "I can never thank you enough and look forward to seeing you soon." In the 1980s, aged 21, Wilkinson became the youngest-ever editor of teen bible Dolly. Four years later, she became editor-in-chief of Cleo.

In the mid-1990s, she started her TV career as a panellist on talk show Beauty and the Beast, hosted by the late Stan Zemanek. During the 2000 Summer Olympics, she joined Seven's The Morning Shift, then Weekend Sunrise. When Wilkinson was first paired with Stefanovic on Today, they trailed Sunrise by a whopping average of 160,000 city viewers. Last year, they overtook their rival in the major cities, though Sunrise is still No. 1 nationally. Loading A Ten source said: "Lisa's a bit like Magda Szubanski; one of those people with really broad appeal. Everyone loves her. That's why this is such a big deal for us." Twitter: @Michael_Lallo