‘I wanted to say a final goodbye.’ How Carrie Bickmore ended her time on The Project.

Carrie Bickmore has officially said farewell after more than ten years on The Project.

Her final episode took place on Wednesday night, with Bickmore opening the show with champagne in hand and a promise for there not to be too many tears.

#TheProjectTV is coming live from the traditional lands of the Kulin Nation. We begin by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we gather today, and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. pic.twitter.com/ReKEFPcFaC

— The Project (@theprojecttv) November 30, 2022

There were some powerful throwback segments shown, including a tribute to Bickmore’s work in raising vital funds for brain cancer – catalysed by her first husband’s death to the disease.

Referencing this she said: “I will forever be thankful to The Project but also to our viewers at home for your support and for making our foundation what it is today. We have now raised over $20 million and that would not have happened if it weren‘t for this place, if it weren’t for Greg and it weren’t for you watching at home – so thank you very, very much.”

There were a few tears as well from the audience and fellow panellists, including Rachel Corbett and even Steve Price.

he world has changed since Carrie first sat at The Project desk 13 years ago. We look back at some of the biggest news stories and how different the world is now. @StevePriceMedia stops by to reminisce on the changing world. pic.twitter.com/ES87JXLrUL

— The Project (@theprojecttv) November 30, 2022

“I’m so sad you’re going because I have loved sitting next to you for the last six years,” Corbett said.

“You are so generous, so kind, such a good performer, so smart and people love you at home because you are the perfect mix of professionalism and realness and you have given so much of yourself to this show.”

Bickmore’s kids and partner Chris Walker were also in attendance, seated in the audience. 

Original panellist Dave Hughes also came onto the desk to wish Bickmore well and reminisce on their shared time on the show. And he wasn’t the only one to congratulate Bickmore on her 13 years on The Project – with Rove, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Fifi Box, Julia Morris, Natalie Imbruglia and Jimmy Barnes all hopping on air.

Throughout the night tonight, we will be hearing from some of our fave people to visit us on #TheProjectTV, who all have a message for Carrie Bickmore. It's going to get very emotional. pic.twitter.com/IVHN1rKAcr

— The Project (@theprojecttv) November 30, 2022

In her final address, Bickmore said it has been a "wild but wonderful ride", thanking all the producers and behind-the-scenes people who have helped her along the way.

Speaking about the makeup team who became her close friends she said: "You don't get to have sad or flat days when you work in TV so these makeup girls have had to do some serious repair jobs on me over the years!"

Then Bickmore went on to thank her family, welling up as she thanked her partner Chris for everything – also noting that they first met one another through the show, when he was a producer.

"This show has given us so much. We wouldn't have our beautiful little poppets if it wasn't for The Project – Evie, Addy Bear and Ollie – you guys are my world. I hope you're proud of everything I've done over the years."

She then thanked her "village" for "picking up the pieces" when her work schedules have been super intense. 

Speaking directly to the viewers, Bickmore said: "I hope I've kept many of you company over the years – it's been the greatest job in the world. Thank you."

Feature Image: Network 10.

The latest Closing the Gap report on Indigenous wellbeing shows only four of the 18 targets are on track, with a number going backwards.

In an address to parliament about the release of the 2022 Closing the Gap report, Anthony Albanese said a constitutionally enshrined voice would empower First Nations people and lead to better outcomes on health, education and justice.

The prime minister said the rate of Indigenous people being jailed in Australia remained "unforgivably high" and the report challenged whether the nation would continue to accept the disparity between their non-Indigenous counterparts.

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The following targets and the progress on each include:

• Close the Gap in life expectancy within a generation, by 2031: Not on track.

• By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies with a healthy birthweight to 91 per cent: On track. 

• By 2025, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children enrolled in Year Before FullTime Schooling early childhood education to 95 per cent: On track.

• By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children assessed as developmentally on track in all five domains of the Australian Early Development Census to 55 per cent: Not on track, getting worse.

• By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (age 20-24) attaining year 12 or equivalent qualification to 96 per cent: No new data to assess progress.

• By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 25-34 years who have completed a tertiary qualification (Certificate III and above) to 70 per cent: No new data to address progress.

• By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth (15-24 years) who are in employment, education or training to 67 per cent: No new data to assess progress.

• By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 25-64 who are employed to 62 per cent. No new data to assess progress. 

• By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in appropriately sized (not overcrowded) housing to 88 per cent: On track.

• By 2031, reduce the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults held in incarceration by at least 15 per cent: Not on track, getting worse. 

• By 2031, reduce the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people (10-17 years) in detention by at least 30 per cent: On track.

• By 2031, reduce the rate of over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care by 45 per cent: Not on track, getting worse. 

• By 2031, the rate of all forms of family violence and abuse against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children is reduced by at least 50 per cent, as progress towards zero: No new data to assess progress. 

• Significant and sustained reduction in suicide of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people towards zero: Not on track, getting worse. 

• By 2030, a 15 per cent increase in Australia's landmass subject to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's legal rights or interests: On track.

• By 2030, a 15 per cent increase in areas covered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's legal rights or interests in the sea: Not on track.

• By 2031, there is a sustained increase in number and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages being spoken: No new data.

• By 2026, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have equal levels of digital inclusion: No new data. 

With AAP.

Netflix has released some interesting news about their new Jenna Ortega-led series Wednesday. News that is sure to upset fans of the hit show Stranger Things.

Plus, Hollywood’s awards season has swung into action this week with The Gotham Awards taking place in New York this week. A slew of A-list celebrities attend the prestigious film awards, but it was Adam Sandler’s now-viral acceptance speech that has divided viewers (and The Spill team).

And in a new interview with the Sunday Times, Helena Bonham Carter has made some disturbing claims about Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, along with calling out her younger Harry Potter co-stars. But are her words just an honest insight into how the old guard of Hollywood really talks or alluding to something more sinister?

Get today’s episode of The Spill in your ears below:

Melbourne man Thomas Bednar has been found guilty of the murder of his mother in her home in May last year.

78-year-old Judy Bednar was found naked on the floor of her bedroom by police after friends were unable to reach her for several days.

She suffered a number of blows causing significant rib fractures and died as a result of injuries that compromised her respiratory system.

Jurors returned a guilty verdict in Bednar's murder trial yesterday afternoon after weeks of evidence in the Supreme Court, finding he killed her sometime between May 12 and May 15, 2021.

A jury has found a Thomas Bednar guilty of murdering his mother in her Chelsea home in May last year. https://t.co/5zYfOfGqUb #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/Ik2CJQxmol

— 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) November 29, 2022

Prosecutor Mark Rochford KC alleged Bednar's motive was that he believed his mother was to blame for four involuntary mental health admissions in the year leading up to her death.

In a candid conversation with homicide detectives after his arrest on the day Judy's death was discovered, the 54-year-old admitted he had "a past" with his mother and wasn't upset about her death.

"I'll be straight up with you about that because she's been an absolute b*tch to me," Bednar said.

He also claimed he had been set up and didn't know how she had died.

Bednar will be sentenced at a later date.

If this has raised any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. 

- With AAP.

World Cup chief Hassan Al-Thawadi said "between 400 and 500" migrant workers have died as a result of work done on projects connected to the World Cup.

The comment by Hassan al-Thawadi, the secretary-general of Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, came during an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan.

In the interview, the British journalist asked al-Thawadi: "What is the honest, realistic total do you think of migrant workers who died from - as a result of work they're doing for the World Cup in totality?"

"The estimate is around 400, between 400 and 500," al-Thawadi responds. "I don't have the exact number. That's something that's been discussed."

A top Qatari official involved in the country's World Cup organization has put the number of worker deaths for the tournament “between 400 and 500” for the first time, a drastically higher number than any other previously offered by Doha. https://t.co/bkXQyZZwGO

— ABC News (@ABC) November 29, 2022

The figure hasn't been discussed publicly previously. Reports from the Supreme Committee dating from 2014 through the end of 2021 only include the number of deaths of workers involved in building and refurbishing the stadiums now hosting the World Cup.

Those released figures put the total number of deaths at 40. They include 37 from what the Qataris describe as non-work incidents such as heart attacks and three from workplace incidents. 

Meanwhile, the families of Iran’s soccer team have allegedly been threatened, after players refused to sing the nation’s national anthem in their opening match against England last week. 

According to CNN, a source involved in the security of the games said the players were told their families would face "violence and torture" if they did not sing the anthem or if they joined political protests against the Tehran regime.

- With AAP.

Eight months on after his infamous Oscar slap, Will Smith has finally addressed his confrontation with comedian Chris Rock.

The actor, who slapped Rock across the face after he made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, at the award show in March, has given his first interview since the incident on The Daily Show. 

"That was a horrific night, as you can imagine," Smith said. 

"There's many nuances and complexities to it, but at the end of the day, I just — I lost it. I guess what I would say, you just never know what somebody's going through."

"I was gone dude, I was gone."

Will Smith has given his first interview after his infamous Chris Rock Oscars slap earlier this year. #9Today | WATCH LIVE 5.30am pic.twitter.com/iMBR5CV0NL

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) November 29, 2022

The 54-year-old, who stars in a new film releasing next month, went on to say he had "rage" bottled up for a long time. 

"I was going through something that night. And not that that justifies my behavior at all. You're asking what did I learn and it's that we just got to be nice to each other, man. It's hard. And I guess the thing that was most painful for me is that I took my hard and made it hard for other people."

"I understand how shocking that was for people," he explained. "I was gone. That was a rage that had been bottled for a really long time."

Smith apologised for the incident which saw him banned from official Oscar activities for 10 years in July.

Tracey Grimshaw, Carrie Bickmore, Leigh Sales… a list of incredibly accomplished women who have decided they want to take a break from their TV roles.

While they have given slightly different reasons for their stepping away from the cameras, the sentiment behind them leaving their high-profile roles is one mirrored in businesses across the country right now.

Today we look at our work life balance which in 2022 has some deciding, no, I’m taking a well-deserved break.

Feature Image: Network 10.