Jackie ‘O’ Henderson paid a secret visit to a leading commercial radio network in the UK last year – months before her sensational exit from The Kyle and Jackie O Show.
The meeting, which was witnessed by our sources and appears to have coincided with Henderson’s travel to Europe for a radio conference, raises the possibility she may have considered opportunities overseas as her working relationship with co-host Kyle Sandilands began to falter after they both signed 10-year contracts with the Australian Radio Network (ARN) worth $100million each.
Henderson’s departure from ARN was confirmed last week when the media giant issued a notice to the ASX stating her contract had been terminated after she advised that she ‘cannot continue to work with Mr Kyle Sandilands’ following his harsh on-air comments on February 20 that left her in tears.
Following this announcement, it was widely assumed Henderson had walked away from the show and her contract. But on Friday, she dropped another bombshell.
In a statement issued through her manager Gemma O’Neill, the 51-year-old media powerhouse stated she ‘did not quit or resign’, that she was ‘deeply saddened… [by] the possibility of the show ending’, and that her exit ‘has come as a shock to me’.
The statement – which insiders believe was drafted following legal advice – suggests the possibility that a member of Henderson’s team may have raised concerns about her working environment with Sandilands, only for ARN management to seize on those concerns as grounds to void her services agreement.
Jackie ‘O’ Henderson paid a secret visit to a leading commercial radio network in the UK last year – months before her sensational exit from The Kyle and Jackie O Show. (She is seen visiting a beauty salon in Sydney’s east on Monday)
The mother of one, who had spent much of the previous week holed up in her Clovelly mansion for crisis talks, was spied arriving at The Parlour Room
Sandilands, meanwhile, has reportedly engaged high-powered lawyers as he moves to fight a breach‑of‑contract allegation, after ARN gave him 14 days to remedy the issue or also face termination.
In a surprising twist to the tale, months before the Kyle and Jackie O Show’s messy end, Henderson had been recognised by fellow Australians in the cafeteria of Bauer Media Audio UK’s headquarters in England last year.
‘She was at the coffee shop on the ground floor and was spotted by someone who used to work in Australia and recognised her,’ a well-placed source told the Mail.
German-owned media giant Bauer, which used to count Australian magazines including Woman’s Day and New Idea among its assets, is one of Europe’s leading radio companies.
In the UK, its Hits Radio and Greatest Hits Radio reach 12.4 million listeners each week.
It is unclear whether Henderson visited Bauer Audio HQ for business or personal reasons. As our source notes, ‘She may have just been visiting a friend.’
Henderson’s social media activity indicates she was in Europe in April, visiting Italy with her 15-year-old daughter, Kitty.
The pair was pictured visiting several tourist attractions, including the Tower of Pisa.
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She looked somewhat downcast and wore an all-black ensemble comprising baggy parachute pants teamed with a billowing tank top featuring gold detailing
According to a well-placed source, Henderson, 51, was spotted at the headquarters of Bauer Media Audio UK (pictured) last year. Her reported trip to England seems to coincide with a period when she was in Europe for a radio conference and holiday with her daughter Kitty
It is unclear whether Henderson visited Bauer Audio HQ for business or personal reasons. As our source notes, ‘She may have just been visiting a friend’
She also spoke at Radiodays Europe – the world’s leading audio industry conference – in Athens, Greece, in March last year, prior to her trip to Italy.
Speaking with British radio personality John Simons, Henderson admitted during the conference that she would be willing to walk away from her $100million contract.
‘You did say that you would walk away from the show, and the 10-year contract, if things weren’t right,’ Simons said.
‘Yes I would,’ Henderson answered.
‘I think the older you get… it’s important that you’re staying true to yourself and that you enjoy what you do and that it feels authentic.
‘And the minute it doesn’t, I don’t ever want to feel bound by this contract where I’m driven by money,’ she said.
‘I’ve never been driven by money in my career and I always want to stay true to that.
‘So, if it doesn’t feel right, at any stage, I would be prepared to walk away from that.’
Meanwhile, on Monday, Henderson broke cover for the first time since announcing she had not quit or resigned when she was seen arriving at The Parlour Room beauty salon for a spray tan.
The mother of one had spent much of the previous week holed up in her Clovelly mansion for crisis talks.
She looked somewhat downcast and wore an all-black ensemble comprising baggy parachute pants teamed with a billowing tank top featuring gold detailing.
She accessorised with a pair of open-toed sandals, hinting she was also getting a pedicure at the high-end parlour, which charges over $60 for a full-body tan.
Henderson also prepped for her spray tan by going makeup-free, but made sure to shield her eyes with a pair of designer sunglasses.
Sandilands and Henderson had famously signed a 10-year deal with ARN in 2023, and had eight years left on their contract when Henderson’s services agreement was terminated last week.
ARN’s statement indicated the ‘possibility of an alternative show on the ARN network’ for Henderson, without going into specifics.
Henderson’s Instagram showed she was in Italy in April with her 15-year-old daughter, Kitty (right). The pair was pictured visiting several tourist attractions, including the Tower of Pisa
Jackie is pictured in her hotel room while travelling to Italy
Henderson had been AWOL from The Kyle and Jackie O show since Friday, February 20, after Sandilands, 54, accused his co-host of being unfocused at work.
During their on-air falling-out, Henderson broke down in tears when the pair were discussing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Sandilands got angry when Henderson read out the disgraced royal’s birth chart, claiming that her enthusiasm for astrology was affecting her work.
When Henderson tried to defend herself, he stated he was only expressing the ‘facts’.
An emotional Henderson said she was deeply ‘offended’ and took a leave of absence following the altercation. She had been expected to return to the show on March 2.
It was then announced her return to the airwaves had been pushed back another week.
Sandilands had opened last Tuesday’s show by saying Henderson would return to the airwaves ‘at some stage’. Instead, ARN announced her termination shortly afterwards.
Henderson has been AWOL from the Kyle and Jackie O show since Friday, February 20, after Sandilands (left), 54, accused Henderson of being unfocused at work
Last week, Sandilands admitted he wished he had handled things differently.
‘I obviously upset her. Maybe, in hindsight, I shouldn’t have said it on the air. But we say a lot of things on the air here,’ he said.
‘It was never meant to hurt her feelings and obviously it did. I regret hurting her feelings. No one wants to hurt someone. Especially someone you care for.
‘I don’t really know. The show is just ploughing ahead anyway. I’m just leaving this up to management.’
Sandilands went on to say he just wanted to be back on the air with everyone happy, adding: ‘I want her to be happy and enjoy it. I also want the same thing.’
Gemma O’Neill, Henderson’s manager and best friend, was contacted for comment regarding her reported visit to the British radio network’s headquarters.
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