Kyle Sandilands has broken his silence with a bombshell statement claiming he has been ‘muzzled’ by his employers Australian Radio Network and barred from contacting his long-time co-host Jackie O Henderson or speaking with colleagues.
The top-rating KIIS FM breakfast host, 54, addressed listeners directly in a lengthy statement on Tuesday after he was suspended from The Kyle and Jackie O Show and accused of serious misconduct following an on-air spat with Henderson last month.
‘I want to speak directly to my listeners, my colleagues and the public about what has been happening,’ he began.
‘On 20 February, I had an argument with Jackie on air about something that had been bothering me for a while. I said things I wish I had said differently.’
Sandilands went on to say that he privately apologised to Henderson after the on-air spat and deeply regretted hurting his long-time co-host’s feelings.
‘That same evening, I sent Jackie a message telling her I was sorry for anything I said that didn’t go down well, that I love her and care for her, and that I could have handled it better. I meant every word of that, and I still do,’ he continued.
Kyle Sandilands has broken his silence with a bombshell statement claiming he has been ‘muzzled’ by his employers Australian Radio Network and barred from contacting his long-time co-host Jackie O Henderson or speaking with colleagues
The top-rating KIIS FM breakfast host, 54, addressed listeners directly in a lengthy statement on Tuesday after he was suspended from The Kyle and Jackie O Show and accused of serious misconduct following an on-air spat with Henderson last month. (Henderson is pictured on Monday)
‘Jackie and I have worked together for over 25 years. She is one of the most important people in my life. The idea that our partnership could end like this is devastating to me.’
The shock jock went on to claim ARN had imposed some strict conditions amid the fallout.
‘ARN told me that I am not allowed to contact Jackie. They have told me that I am not allowed to speak to my colleagues. I did what was asked even though it made it impossible for me to do the one thing anyone in my position would want to do – pick up the phone and talk to the person I have been talking with continually for my entire career,’ he explained.
‘The truth is that ARN terminated Jackie’s contract on the same day it accused me of a breach. It suspended me from work. All of this happened while I was being told to sit quietly and say nothing. That is not a genuine process.’
While acknowledging Henderson had told him she was hurt, he insisted they had always resolved disagreements privately.
‘I am not going to pretend that everything about this situation is simple. Jackie told me she was hurt, and I accept that. But we have had disagreements before and we have always worked through them. That is what partners do. We never needed lawyers or ASX announcements to sort things out. I believe we could have sorted this out too, if ARN had given us the chance.
‘I have a contract with ARN that runs until 2034. I am committed to that contract. Despite what ARN says, I am not in breach of that contract. I want to be on air. I want to be with my audience. I want to do the job I have done my entire adult life,’ he insisted.
‘I am asking ARN to do the right thing: honour our agreement and let me get back to doing what I do best – entertaining the people who have supported this show for more than two decades.’
Sandilands went on to say that he privately apologised to Henderson after the on-air spat and deeply regretted hurting his long-time co-host’s feelings
He concluded: ‘To my listeners: Thank you. I miss you. I’ll be back.’
Sandilands was spotted looking downcast as he arrived at his Vaucluse mansion on Tuesday.
Despite cutting quite the casual figure, Sandilands arrived in style, stepping out of his jet-black $400,000, 2026 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600.
Dressing down for his outing, Sandilands was dressed in a black plain T-shirt and matching shorts.
The radio star finished his look with a black LA Dodgers baseball cap and a pair of luxe $2,400 Dita Eyewear sunglasses.
His love of luxe accessories was also on display with a $1,700 black Versace nylon backpack.
Sandilands looked all business as he made his way into the $14 million mansion he shares with his wife, Tegan Kynaston, 40, and their son Otto, three.
It seemed that business was the order of the day, too, with Sandilands’ manager Bruno Bouchet arriving soon after.
Sandilands was spotted looking downcast as he arrived at his Vaucluse mansion on Tuesday
Despite cutting quite the casual figure, Sandilands arrived in style, stepping out of his jet-black $400,000, 2026 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600
The embattled shock jock finished his look with a black LA Dodgers baseball cap and a pair of luxe $2,400 Dita Eyewear sunglasses
Wasting no time, Bouchet was already working on his laptop as he walked to Sandilands’ door.
On Friday, Henderson broke her silence with her own statement, issued by manager Gemma O’Neill.
In it, the radio queen, 51, claimed that she did not quit or resign from the popular KIIS FM breakfast show.
‘Over the past few days, there has been a lot of speculation and misinformation about my departure from the show,’ Henderson began the statement.
‘I want to make one important point very clear: I did not quit or resign.’
Continuing, Henderson said the ‘narrative’ surrounding the drama was not an accurate reflection of what had occurred.
‘I am deeply saddened by the events of the past week and the possibility of the show ending. This has come as a shock to me, as it has to everyone else,’ she said.
‘The current media narrative does not reflect what actually occurred, and it has been truly heartbreaking to see how this has unfolded.’
Sandilands looked all business as he made his way into the $14 million mansion he shares with his wife, Tegan Kynaston, and their son Otto
It seemed that business was the order of the day, too, with Sandilands’ manager Bruno Bouchet arriving soon after. Wasting no time, Bouchet was already working on his laptop as he walked to Sandilands’ door
The statement continued: ‘At this stage, I am unable to say anything further, as I am addressing this through the appropriate legal channels.
‘Thank you to everyone who has sent kind messages of support during what has been an incredibly challenging time.’
In the wake of the saga, wild theories emerged about the source of the drama, with many listeners speculating that the drama was ‘fake’.
‘That’s one way to rip up a contract and then start a new radio show somewhere else,’ one person wrote online after the news broke.
‘They’ve been getting low ratings – maybe this was an easy way to get rid of them off air?’ a second said.
‘This is blatant face-saving by the network to stop bleeding tens of millions of $ due to their failed venture into Melbourne,’ another noted.
Others wondered if the conflict and subsequent termination of Henderson’s contract was a way to ‘save money’ in a ‘dying industry’.
‘It’s no secret that their ratings in Melbourne are very poor and ARN have spent an absolute fortune on contracting them in an industry that is dying,’ one added.
Speaking via a statement issued by manager Gemma O’Neill on Friday night, Henderson, 51, claimed that she did not quit or resign from the popular KIIS FM breakfast show
But claims that the fracas was a publicity stunt was dismissed by a former colleague of the radio duo.
Veteran presenter Mitch Churi, who worked alongside the KIIS FM stars for more than a decade, said on the latest episode of his podcast that the falling out was not cooked up for ratings.
‘I was there for ten years and have so many friends entangled in it. No, it’s not PR,’ he said.
Meanwhile, entertainment journalist Peter Ford disputed the claim that Sandilands and Henderson were gearing up for an on-air reunion during an appearance on Sunrise on Tuesday.
When host Matt Shirvington asked Ford if there was any chance of hearing Sandilands and Henderson on the airwaves again, he replied with a succinct: ‘No.’
‘People I know are thinking, ‘Oh it was a publicity stunt after all,” he added.
He doubled down on the assertion later in the interview with: ‘I don’t believe that there is a hope in hell of them getting back on air together any time in the future.’
Ford said that this fact was made perfectly clear in that KIIS FM’s parent company, Australian Radio Network (ARN), released a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) on Tuesday, March 3.
‘I am deeply saddened by the events of the past week and the possibility of the show ending. This has come as a shock to me, as it has to everyone else,’ she said
In the wake of the saga, wild theories emerged about the source of the drama, with many listeners speculating that the drama was ‘fake’
‘You’ve got to go back a week to the statement that was given to the stock exchange. Now, there never was a press release about this – it was always the statement to the stock exchange,’ he said.
‘You can tell fibs in a press release. You can’t do that in something to the stock exchange.’
Ford added that the fact the statement mentioned Henderson’s ‘termination’ meant a return to the airwaves, as part of The Kyle & Jackie O Show, was highly unlikely.
‘They made it very clear that Jackie O’s contract has been terminated. Not we’re thinking about it – it has already been terminated,’ he said.
KIIS FM’s parent company ARN announced last week that Jackie’s $100 million contract had been terminated after she told executives she ‘cannot continue to work with Mr Kyle Sandilands’ following his harsh on-air comments that left her in tears.
ARN provided written notice to Sandilands stating it considers his behaviour during the show on February 20 to be ‘an act of serious misconduct which is in breach of ARN’s service agreement with Quasar Media.’
Kyle was suspended and given 14 days to ‘remedy’ the breach, or else he faces termination.
The radio titan has ‘called in lawyers’ and is ‘preparing to sue’ ARN should his $100 million contract be terminated following the collapse of KIIS FM’s The Kyle & Jackie O Show, The Australian reported on Thursday.
The radio stars’ two-decade partnership imploded last month after Sandilands slammed Henderson over what he said was a ‘fixation’ with astrology
The two-decade partnership imploded last month after Sandilands slammed Henderson over what he said was a ‘fixation’ with astrology.
The pair were discussing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor when Henderson proceeded to read out the disgraced royal’s birth chart.
Sandilands then proceeded to lambast his co-star, claiming that her love for astrology was affecting her work.
As Henderson protested, he continued: ‘It’s affecting other things, like your fixation on this has made you almost unworkable. You’re off with the fairies with this s***t. It’s mental.’
Clearly taken aback by the shocking outburst, a stunned Henderson said that she was offended by Kyle’s comments.
‘I am, Kyle. I totally am offended by you saying something like that,’ she said, but he was having none of it.
‘Well, too bad if you are because that’s the reality of what we’re dealing with here,’ he spat. ‘It’s affecting everything else. You’re too fixated on it.’
It didn’t end there, either, with Sandilands claiming that Henderson’s obsession was affecting her work – something that had been raised with him by KIIS FM staff.
Henderson then became audibly emotional, fighting back tears as she continued to defend herself.
‘I would never say things like that about you,’ she said.
‘It’s a total attack, it really is … to say: “You don’t know what the F is going on, you’re not doing your job,” that’s an attack and I wouldn’t do that.’
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