Jackie 'O' Henderson has broken her silence to deny that she resigned from the Kyle and Jackie O Show, contradicting the Australian Radio Network's (ARN) earlier statement. In a statement released on Friday, the breakfast radio host said she was 'deeply saddened' by the events of the past week and the possibility of the show ending, insisting she did not quit.
ARN had told the Australian Securities Exchange on Tuesday that Henderson had 'given notice that she cannot continue to work with Mr Kyle Sandilands' and that her contract had been terminated. The network also confirmed that Sandilands had been suspended for 14 days over 'serious misconduct', and the show was taken off air effective immediately.
Henderson, who co-hosted the show with Sandilands for 25 years, claimed there had been 'widespread misinformation' in the media about her departure. 'I want to make one important point very clear: I did not quit or resign,' she said via her manager. She indicated she would take legal action but did not provide further details.
The rift emerged two weeks ago after Sandilands mocked Henderson's interest in astrology on air, accusing her of being 'unfocused' and 'off with the pixies'. An emotional Henderson responded, calling it a 'total attack'. She did not return to work the following week, leading to the network's announcement.
Both presenters signed record A$100m contracts in 2023 for a decade of shows. Sandilands has not made any public statements. Meanwhile, ARN faces enforcement action from Australia's broadcasting regulator over previous 'vulgar' content on the show, with an announcement expected within weeks.
