Kyle Sandilands has issued a public apology to his former co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, expressing devastation over the potential end of their long-running radio partnership. In his first statement since their on-air argument led to Henderson’s contract termination and his suspension, Sandilands said he had apologised to her directly and wanted to resolve the matter.
The KIIS FM host accused the Australian Radio Network (ARN) of failing to run a “genuine process” before terminating Henderson’s contract and suspending him. He claimed he was told not to contact Henderson or colleagues after her exit on 3 March, and that the broadcaster’s actions prevented a resolution between the pair.
Sandilands insisted he was not in breach of his contract, which runs until 2034, despite ARN stating otherwise. He said the argument on 20 February, where he criticised Henderson’s interest in astrology, was poorly handled and that he immediately apologised. “I meant every word of that, and I still do,” he said.
ARN has accused Sandilands of “serious misconduct” and taken the show off air. However, Sandilands believes the partnership could have been salvaged without legal intervention. “We never needed lawyers … to sort things out. I believe we could have sorted this out too,” he said.
Henderson earlier stated she did not resign and was “deeply saddened” by the situation. Sandilands now urges ARN to honour their agreement and allow him to return to the airwaves, emphasising his commitment to the job and audience.
