‘Very strange’: Lisa Wilkinson returns to Today Show after eight years

Former Today Show host Lisa Wilkinson has returned to the breakfast program nearly eight years after her depature, saying it was “strange” to be back on her old stomping ground.

Wilkinson left the Today Show in 2017 after 10 years as co-host alongside Karl Stefanovic, joining The Project on Channel 10 before departing in 2022.

Nearly eight years after her departure from the breakfast program, Wilkinson revealed she would be back on the program.

However, this time she’s not sitting behind the desk – she’s there topromote her new project about an Australian hero on the Titanic.

Sitting on set in a brown suit, she was all smiles as she reunited with the Channel 9 crew.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a reunion without a few jabs from her cheeky former co-host.

“On April 15, 1912 – 114 years ago – Lisa Wilkinson started working on the Today Show,” Stefanovic quipped, causing the entire set to erupt in laughter.

Wilkinson couldn’t help but agree as she looked around the set.

“I love what you’ve done with the place,” she said with a smile.

Throughout the reunion, the Today Show hosts played a compilation of hilarious – and sometimes awkward – clips of the former duo’s on-air adventures, such as curling on the Nintendo Wii and travelling across the world.

“I did my dues,” she said.

“I mean, 10 years of such a special time on the Today Show, so thank you both,” she said, watching the replay of some of her funniest moments on TV.

She said one of her favourite moments was trying to get a chuckle out of her co-host.

“One of the joys of that was your reaction,” she said.

“I don’t know about you, but I like it when I can make him laugh.”

Despite the sweet reunion, Ms Wilkinson acknowledged it was “weird” to be back on set.

“It is very, very strange,” she laughed.

She also couldn’t help but bury her head in her hands as the throwback footage rolled on the screens.

“Welcome to This Is Your Life, Lisa,” Karl joked.

Ms Wilkinson teased her return to the small screen on Tuesday evening.

“After more than eight years away from the Today Show, I’ll be back at the desk with Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo talking about my new book, all things Titanic and Evelyn Marsden … with maybe a little reminiscing thrown in for good measure,” she wrote on social media.

Karl, who has been co-anchor of the breakfast show for more than two decades, cheekily reminded his former co-host to “set the alarm” for her early start.

Abo, who is expecting her first child later this year, also joined in on the fun: “Cannot wait! Have you cleared your calendar for August?”

Ms Wilkinson will be on the morning program to promote her new book – The Titanic Story of Evelyn – which explores the story of a nurse, who was one of six Australians on-board the doomed ship, and the only Australian to survive the 1912 sinking.