Kyle Sandilands has broken his silence on the dramatic breakdown of his 28-year partnership with Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, admitting he feels no lingering nostalgia for the iconic radio duo – despite the bitter fallout costing him an $80 million contract and a decades-long friendship.
Speaking on Sam Armytage’s Act Two podcast, the radio presenter opened up about the sudden implosion of The Kyle & Jackie O Show, describing the months following his high-profile firing as a “chaotic” and “torturous” blur of legal fights, massive financial adjustments, and high-stakes business rebuilds.
‘There’s a lot I don’t know:’ Kyle Sandilands doesn’t regret calling Jackie O out
Addressing the pivotal moment that triggered the show’s demise – when he publicly dismissed Jackie as being “off with the fairies” – Kyle insisted he harbours no regrets over calling her out.
“No, because it was true what was happening,” Kyle said, alleging that Jackie had become increasingly disengaged in the lead-up to the split and he initially thought something else was going on and the issue wasn’t to do with him.
“It needed to be said… I didn’t want to prolong the inevitable. It was a blessing in disguise because I thought I had the 10-year plan here.
“If she had a different plan or didn’t want the same plan, even though we’d just signed it less than a year before… she’s entitled to change her mind.”
Kyle said he later read affidavits and text messages but admitted he’s not sure if it was Jackie’s decision or if she was “pushed” or swayed by other people’s opinions.
Reflecting on what went wrong behind the scenes, Kyle suggested that outside influences may have driven a wedge between the long-time co-hosts, speculating that people in Jackie’s inner circle persuaded her to cut ties.
“There’s a lot I don’t know,” he said. “And there’s a lot I may never know.”
“The only thing that makes sense to me is that where she was in life, she was not interested in doing the same sort of shtick that we’ve always done, or someone got in her ear,” Kyle told Sam.
“I just think someone got in her head and said, ‘You can be better, and let’s cut him out of the equation’ – whether that was for their own personal gain, or whether they had that personal belief that Jackie’s brand was in danger.”
Kyle reveals when he last heard from Jackie O and whether he’d ever work with her again
Kyle said he last heard from Jackie three weeks after the initial scandal via text message and when Sam asked if he missed her, he said he’s previously wanted to say yes, but the answer is no.
“No,” Kyle answered. “Because it was so torturous and then litigious, and then we were building that new platform. I’ve been asked before, ‘Do I miss her?’ And I want to say yes, but the answer is no. It’s been very busy and very chaotic. So maybe once things calm down a bit.”
Kyle went on to say relationship breakdowns happen all time, and then mentioned to Sam that it happened with her and her former Sunrise co-host David Koch.
“It happened with you and Kochie,” Kyle said, as Sam said, “Well, I wanted to be out of there. I definitely walked away from a big job.”
When Sam asked if Kyle could hypothetically imagine ever working with Jackie again, he said he could.
“I would,” he said. “I would not rule it out. If her and I got to the stage after the court where I understood or even had a discussion, even if I don’t understand or agree, just hearing from her would help me greatly. Just in my heart.”
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