The long-running radio partnership between Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson has come to an abrupt end following a heated on-air argument. The Australian Radio Network (ARN) announced on Tuesday that the KIIS breakfast show would be taken off air immediately, accusing Sandilands of 'serious misconduct'.
The dispute, which occurred ten days ago, saw Sandilands berate Henderson for her focus on astrology, calling her 'unfocused' and 'off with the pixies'. An emotional Henderson described the tirade as 'mean and nasty', and later told ARN she could no longer work with her on-air partner of 25 years.
ARN stated that Sandilands has been suspended for 14 days and must demonstrate how he will 'remedy' the alleged breach of his services agreement. If he fails to do so, his contract will be terminated. Henderson's own contract has already been ended.
The pair had signed a historic $200 million deal with ARN in 2022, which was to run through 2034. However, the extension of the show to Melbourne proved problematic, with poor ratings and multiple breaches of the broadcasting code.
A social media campaign by the group Mad Fucking Witches targeted the show's advertising revenue, accusing it of normalising 'violent misogyny'. The Kyle and Jackie O Show accounted for nearly half of all decency complaints in Australian radio in the 2024-25 financial year.
The show also faces enforcement action from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma), which found seven breaches of decency rules across KIIS. Acma has indicated it may impose an additional licence condition, a step not taken since the 2012 royal hoax call.
