Henderson disputes radio show departure, seeks legal advice
Updated ,first published
Jackie “O” Henderson has settled with lawyers after the owners of KIIS FM terminated her $10 million-a-year contract, announcing that she had not resigned from her radio show with Kyle Sandilands.
Henderson said this week that he wanted to make clear that he was not resigning or resigning in response to what he described as “speculation and misinformation” about his departure.
ARN, the radio company that hosts the KIIS network Kyle and the Jackie O Show, He announced on Tuesday that Henderson had said he could not work with Sandilands. He said he terminated his contract as a result but offered him a new show on undisclosed terms. The ARN suspended Sandilands for two weeks and said it would also terminate his contract unless he could remedy what it described as “serious misconduct”.
In a statement released through his manager Gemma O’Neill, Henderson said: “I am deeply saddened by the events of the past week and the prospect of the show coming to an end. It has come as a shock to me, as it has to everyone.”
“The current media narrative does not reflect what actually happened and it is truly heartbreaking to see how this incident unfolded. At this stage I cannot say anything further as I am dealing with the matter through the appropriate legal channels.”
“Thank you to everyone who has sent kind messages of support during an incredibly challenging time.”
The duo signed a 10-year deal worth $200 million in 2023. This agreement started last year and was planned to continue until the end of 2034. But the terms of the undisclosed contract require the couple to make the delivery The Kyle and Jackie O Show together, according to company sources.
The break-up of Australia’s most famous media personalities has dominated the headlines all week after the company’s plans to expand the show to Melbourne suffered poor ratings and launches in Brisbane and Adelaide were cancelled.
Henderson was taken off the air after Sandilands berated him during a live broadcast on February 20, claiming he had become obsessed with horoscopes and was distracted from work.
“You’re with the fairies, you’re unfocused, you don’t care…everyone in this building has told me about it,” Sandilands told Henderson during the show, as she fought back tears.
More to come.
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Calum Jaspan is a media writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based in Melbourne. Reach him securely on Signal @calumjaspan.10Connect with: X or email.
