Jackie O Takes Week Off After Fiery On-Air Clash with Kyle Sandilands
Jackie 'O' Henderson will not be returning to her popular breakfast radio show this week following a heated and personal on-air clash with her long-time co-host Kyle Sandilands. The absence comes after a tense episode last Friday that saw the radio hosts embroiled in a fiery argument which ended with Henderson telling Sandilands to "get somebody else" after what she described as a "total attack."
Sandilands Announces Henderson's Absence
During Tuesday morning's broadcast, Sandilands informed listeners that he had "just heard" Henderson would be taking the entire week off. This followed her no-show on Tuesday's program, where producers played an old clip of a funny exchange between the pair in her absence.
Newsreader Brooklyn Ross expressed that he "missed her," prompting Sandilands to jump in with: "She'll be gone for the week, so looking forward to her returning." On Monday, Sandilands had already revealed that Henderson was taking time off to "gather her thoughts" following Friday's explosive episode.
The Argument That Sparked the Conflict
The clash began when Sandilands first criticized Henderson after she read through Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's astrology chart in response to news of his arrest. Sandilands initially took issue with her "fixation" on astrology before the discussion turned intensely personal.
"I don't mean to be rude, as I said fascinating, but I don't think it should be at the detriment of everything else on the show," Sandilands said during the broadcast. "It's affecting other things. Your fixation on this has made you almost unworkable."
As Henderson tried to defend herself, stating Sandilands' comments were "unfair," he continued his tirade, accusing her of being "off with the fairies." Sandilands claimed her focus on astrology was affecting the rest of the show and its segments, stating that others in the building had mentioned it to him as well.
Emotional Exchange and Personal Attacks
As the exchange intensified, Henderson became emotional, responding: "I would never say things like that about you. You make out like you're perfect but there are so many things that you don't do, and I would never bring them up, and I would never say what people say."
The argument culminated with Henderson telling her co-host to "get somebody else" after what she described as a "total attack," signaling a significant rupture in their professional relationship that has spanned more than two decades.
Not Their First On-Air Conflict
Insiders claim the explosive falling-out after Friday's bust-up has been years in the making, with tensions between the pair surfacing multiple times in recent years.
In February 2022, Sandilands launched into a 12-minute tirade during which he called Henderson an "idiot" on air. The clash erupted at the start of the breakfast show as Henderson and Ross discussed reports that former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had allegedly described former Prime Minister Scott Morrison as a "horrible, horrible person" in a text message.
Sandilands returned to air the following day, apologizing to his co-host for calling her an "idiot" and admitting it was a bit of a "carry-on."
A year later, in November, tensions flared again when Sandilands stormed off just minutes into the live broadcast. He walked out of the recording booth 11 minutes into the show, leaving Henderson to cancel the rest of their time slot. The Kyle and Jackie O Show ran re-runs instead during that period.
Sandilands later apologized to Henderson and explained that a shoulder injury and medication contributed to his stress. "He sent me a message saying, 'Honey, I'm so sorry. I'm on medication and I'm not myself. I'm in so much pain'," Henderson explained on the show at the time. "I actually feel so bad for him."
Industry Reaction and Future Speculation
The nine-minute audio clip of Friday's argument has been posted on news websites and widely shared within media circles. Some industry observers have written it off as a publicity stunt, while others have expressed genuine concern for Henderson's wellbeing following what she described as a "personal attack."
Speaking to Mediaweek, Game Changers podcast co-host Craig Bruce reflected on what the recent clash could signal for the long-running duo. "We all need to remember that these guys have been together for over 25 years and that nothing lasts forever," Bruce said.
"In my experience with the show, their superpower was their connection with each other and their shared values and goals for the show. It sounds like that has may shifted a little in recent times."
The future of one of Australia's most successful radio partnerships now hangs in the balance as Henderson takes time away from the microphone following the most personal and damaging conflict in their quarter-century working relationship.
