Lisa Wilkinson breaks down over heartbreaking Project moment

Lisa Wilkinson found herself fighting back tears both before and during a segment on The Project last night, over a heartbreaking story from guest James Blunt.

The UK singer-songwriter was appearing to promote his new single Monsters, which deals with coming to terms with his father’s terminal illness.

After screening the heartbreaking music video which shows Blunt in tears by his father’s side, Lisa says she was left ‘bawling’.

“That song we saw at the end of the package about the possibility of your father dying and you saying goodbye to him... I was watching this about an hour ago, and let me tell you, the hair and make-up girls had to come in big-time. I was bawling my eyes out...” she admitted.

Her voice visibly trembling at the memory, Lisa asked the singer about the process which lies close to her own experience.

“I lost my dad 30 years ago in May, and these words are so moving,” she said.

The host regularly references her father who passed away when the veteran journalist was just 30 years old.

The video showed James sitting beside his father openly weeping, while his dad stares stoically forward.

James told the panel that he was going into surgery at the time of the taping.

“He’s just going in for a transplant as we speak, at this moment,” re responded when Lisa asked after his dad’s health.

“He is going through that process right now.”

James confirmed his dad, Colonel Charles Blount, has stage Stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease last year, and that the new single tackled the experience directly.

Since the song dropped it has shot to number 2 on the UK charts.

The singer took to Twitter with a heartfelt message of thanks for fans, ditching his typically sarcastic tone for a remarkably candid one.

“Totally blown away by all your kind messages about Monsters. Thank you,” he wrote.

Lisa later posted about the experience on Instagram, taking a moment to remember her own dad.

“It’ll be 30 years this coming May since I lost my beautiful dad and I cried through the whole thing tonight. Those feelings, they just never leave you...” she wrote.

It’s not the first time a host has broken down on the nightly news program.

Last year Peter Helliar got emotional discussing the loss of a close friend to suicide, raising awareness for mental health in the process.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.