Twitter trolls were 'a factor' in Hamish Macdonald's departure from the ABC The Q&A host quit the network on Monday after less than 18 months Stan Grant, Virginia Trioli and David Speers are rumoured replacements Expert says 'Macdonald had an uphill battle no matter how good he was' Ratings during his time hosting the program in 2021 less than half the 2012 level ABC praised him for his 'outstanding 18 months with the national broadcaster' It also noted the challenges of Q&A shifting to a Thursday night slot in pandemic The Greater Sydney lockdown meant he had not hosted Q&A since June 24