Calls for Leigh Sales to be AXED from The 7.30 Report and replaced by ABC co-star Laura Tingle – but she has a brutal message for the haters
- Calls increasing for host Leigh Sales to be dumped from the ABC’s 7.30 program
- Colleague Laura Tingle responded on Twitter to speculation she could take over
- Political expert Ms Sales, 48, has hosted 7.30 on the ABC dating back to 2011
Laura Tingle, the fill-in host for the ABC’s 7.30 program, has dismissed supporters calls for her to get the job on a full-time basis and said she is ‘in awe’ of regular presenter Leigh Sales.
‘We need to campaign to make Laura Tingle the permanent host of 7.30,’ a message on Twitter said last night, receiving more than 5,000 likes.
Responding to the message Tingle, 60, instead declared her admiration for Sales, a highly respected political reporter and author.
‘Thanks, but no you don’t. My day job is funner,’ Tingle tweeted in response.
‘And I am in awe of what Leigh Sales does day after day amongst quite a horrible environment of social media sh*t.’
Tingle’s public declaration that she didn’t want to replace Sales in the hot seat won her plenty of fans on social media.
Calls are growing on social media for veteran host Leigh Sales (pictured) to be dumped from the ABC’s 7.30 program
Colleague Laura Tingle (pictured middle) has been touted online as Leigh Sales’ replacement – but the ABC journalist doesn’t covet the anchor role on 7.30
Laura Tingle (pictured in Canberra) defended Leigh Sales on Twitter, before declaring she wasn’t interested in the hosting role on ABC’s 7.30
‘Thanks for responding, Laura. This divisive campaign by many on Twitter has been quite nasty. You and Leigh Sales are both awesome journalists and the ABC is lucky to have such a range of talent,’ one wrote.
Another tweeted many members of the public would soon turn on Tingle if she was at the helm for the popular ABC program.
‘And then when she does something people disagree with, Twitter will turn on her. I love Laura Tingle, but I think some people’s obsession with Leigh Sales is over the top.’
A third said the ABC was lucky to have both talented women on their payroll.
‘Why do we always seek to compare, and form tribalistic, adversarial, all or nothing positions? We have two extraordinary public interest journalists serving us in complimentary roles at our national broadcaster,’ the man tweeted.
‘Let’s just appreciate that.’
Sales, 48, is a polarising – but generally respected – figure in the eyes of many viewers.
She is a veteran with ABC, and was the network’s political correspondent in Washington from 2001 to 2005.
From 2008-2010, Sales, a three-time Walkley winner for her investigative journalism, was a co-host of Lateline on the ABC, a late-night national current affairs show that discussed federal politics and international affairs.
In 2011, Sales was appointed anchor of the ABC’s current affairs program 7.30, and has forged a reputation for her no-nonsense style of questioning with numerous Prime Ministers and world leaders.
ABC journalist Laura Tingle is also said to be dating actor Sam Neill (pictured right) – but the couple are notoriously private and have refused to comment on recent reports they split