The Kyle and Jackie O Show, Australia's most lucrative radio program, has been taken off air following a dispute between its co-hosts. The Australian Radio Network (ARN) announced that the breakfast show on Kiis FM would be suspended immediately, with interim arrangements to be made.
ARN stated that Jackie Henderson had notified the network that she could no longer work with Kyle Sandilands, her on-air partner of 25 years. Henderson's contract, reportedly worth $100m and signed in 2023 for a decade, has been terminated after just two years. Sandilands has been accused of serious misconduct and suspended for 14 days, during which he is required to remedy an alleged breach of his services agreement or face contract termination.
The fallout follows an on-air spat on 20 February, during which Sandilands mocked Henderson's interest in astrology. Speculation about Henderson's return had been rife, culminating in the announcement that the partnership, valued at $200m, was over. ARN has offered Henderson an alternative show on its network.
The show had been Australia's top breakfast program, with an audience of 1.5 million. However, it has frequently attracted controversy, including multiple investigations by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for vulgar and sexually explicit content. ACMA found seven breaches of decency rules across Kiis stations in Sydney and Melbourne, leading to potential enforcement actions such as licence conditions or suspension.
