Leigh Sales announces she is stepping down from ABC’s 7.30

Among the praise on social media for the way she handled the announcement, one word came up time and time again — with Australia’s journalists and politicians describing it as “classy” way to say good-bye.

There is also much speculation about who will replace her, with Laura Tingle or David Speers emerging as some of the favourites to take her place.

Speaking on 7.30 this evening, the 48-year-old revealed she would be leaving the desk later this year “once the federal election is over”.

“There’s nothing wrong, other than I just feel a strong sense of it being time to pass the baton to the next runner in the race and to take a break,” she said.

“At the end of an election cycle feels like a good time to move on to something new at the ABC. I hope it’s been obvious that I’ve always approached this job with one goal – and that is to ask frank questions of people in power, without fear or favour, that a fair-minded, reasonable person with some common sense watching at home might like to ask if they were sitting in my position.”

Since taking up the role in 2010, Sales has covered five Australian prime ministers, presented nine federal budgets and covered two, and now soon to be three, federal elections.

“I’ve tried to shut down and call out bulls**t, hold powerful people to account, expose lies, incompetence and exaggeration in all political parties and all issues and present facts even when they’re unpopular or inconvenient,” she continued.

“I have truly tried my absolute hardest on behalf of you at home to do that every single time I’ve sat at the desk. Anchoring 7.30 has been the most amazing job and I’ll never stop being grateful for the opportunities it’s given me.”

The most likely successor is expected to be Laura Tingle or David Speers.

Sales went on to thank the ABC for a number of unforgettable moments on air, recalling on everything from bubbly celebrity interviews, intense clashes with politicians and the heart-wrenching interviews following the 2016 Dreamworld accident.

“People like Matthew Lowe, who lost his wife, are the ones who stick with you,” she said.

“Every time you interview somebody whose life has been devastated you feel terrified by what life has dished up to them and incredibly humbled by how they met it with strength and clarity and dignity and you just don’t forget it.”

She said interviewing former Beatle Paul McCartney was “one of the best days of my life”.

“In all the years I‘ve anchored, I’ve never had more viewers come up to me in public and say how much joy it gave them that interview and it was beautiful that people felt they had shared in that experience with now,” she said.

She reassured viewers she wasn’t departing the national broadcaster entirely, wishing luck to the station for the future of 7.30.

“There’s no other show that does what 7.30 does night after night,” she said.

“I’m so proud of what our team does. And I know the program is going to keep going from strength to strength as it always has. I feel overwhelmed when I think of all the things that working at 7.30 has given me and I’m looking forward to having a good break and figuring out what I do next at the ABC.”

ABC’s acting news director Gavin Fang said he would “start thinking about a new presenter down the track”, according to The Guardian.

“We would love to have her stay in that role, but it’s in Leigh’s nature to seek fresh challenges, and it’s exciting for everyone to see what she’ll do next in journalism,” he said.

‘What a classy farewell’

Australia’s media personalities and politicians have reacted to Sales’ farewell with widespread praise.

They said she was one of the toughest journalists in the business and that her farewell was full of class.

Shadow Minister for Climate Change Chris Bowen said she was “tough, formidable and thoroughly professional”.

ABC journalist David Speers said: “The best in the biz. What an extraordinary contribution you’ve made @leighsales. A fearless journo & formidable interviewer. Thank you for always being such a great sounding board & source of advice. Can’t wait to see what you do next!”

Here are some of the other reactions to the news on social media: