Sonia Kruger‘s future on The Voice Australia is looking increasingly uncertain, and speculation is mounting over who could step into her shoes – with Jackie ‘O’ Henderson reportedly emerging as a genuine contender!
The rumours come after Sonia opened up about her ambitions offshore, revealing she’s set her sights on the United Kingdom and United States.
Sonia’s eyes are already overseas
“I think you’d be crazy not to,” Sonia told Stellar of the overseas opportunities being floated to her. “There are a couple of projects I’d love to do in London and the States.”
She specifically pointed to Strictly Come Dancing as a dream gig, given her history with Strictly Ballroom.
“I’d love to do guest judging spots on Strictly Come Dancing in the UK or America, should it ever come up,” she explained. “If they ever wanted Tina Sparkle to turn up and be a guest judge on either of those, she’d be there. She’d totally turn up.”
“She’s genuinely interested”
With Sonia’s eyes clearly wandering, attention has turned to who might fill the void – and according to an insider, Jackie O’s name is firmly in the mix.
“Jackie would be fantastic,” the insider tells Woman’s Day. “She already knows all the coaches personally and would be great with the contestants too.”
The insider claims the idea has already been raised with Jackie behind the scenes.
“The idea of hosting The Voice has quietly been floated to her by someone involved with production, and she’s genuinely interested,” they say. “She loves the show and thinks it’s exactly the kind of TV role she’d enjoy.”
It’s understood Jackie has turned down several TV offers since her radio career wrapped up, reportedly holding off while her legal battle continues to play out. But The Voice, the source suggests, could be the exception.
“It’s also a very lucrative gig, so if she did say yes, it wouldn’t be for just one season,” the insider says. “The network would want someone they can build around, so they’d be looking at locking her in for at least two or three years. If the right deal is on the table, she’d absolutely consider it.”
Jackie isn’t a stranger to Seven, either – she previously hosted Stranded on Honeymoon Island for the network, making her a familiar face to viewers and executives alike.
The insider also points to her earlier judging credentials as proof she’s more than qualified for the coaching-adjacent role.
“People also forget Jackie has form in this space,” they say. “She was a judge on Popstars and helped discover Bardot, so she knows what she’s looking for. The Voice would be right in her wheelhouse, and she’d absolutely shine.”
The waiting game
For now, it seems the ball is in Sonia’s court.
“At the moment, it’s really a waiting game to see what Sonia decides to do,” the insider adds. “Unlike Kyle [Sandilands], Jackie hasn’t burnt any bridges in the industry, so this could end up being the perfect comeback for her.”
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