‘Hit a nerve’: Kyle Sandilands’ candid take on where he stands with Jackie O now

Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson’s on-air spat sparked one of the biggest fallouts in not only friendship, but working careers seen in a long time.

In a new interview with the Game Changers podcast, the radio shock jock, 55, was quizzed about how their close bond seemed to fall away within just weeks and where they stand now, with him admitting he doesn’t think she “hates” him. 

Henderson’s memoir, The Whole Truth, gave an insight into the bond she and Sandilands had over their decades in radio, which quickly disintegrated. 

Podcast host and former radio executive Craig Bruce asked Sandilands, “She [Henderson] wrote that she loved you unconditionally, including even more for your perceived flaws.

“From your perspective what changed in that relatively short span of time from the book being released to go from unconditional love to the point where the partnership broke down, what changed?”

Sandilands admitted they’ve not really spoken since the on-air spat that saw both of them walk away from their KIIS FM breakfast show, and ultimately led to their legal fight against their former employer ARN. 

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“As I said we’ve communicated loosely, but we haven’t talked properly, I would assume that that hasn’t changed in all honesty,” he said of her feelings towards him. 

“I believe that it’s still that love, I certainly have that for her, I really do believe that she may have emotionally decided that this sort of show is not for me any more but was very torn and that’s why we may have not communicated about it because it was too big a deal.”

Sandilands admitted that the now infamous comment he made when he said, “‘You’re not paying attention,’ or whatever I said, that hit a nerve.” 

“That was just too hard for her to handle… so that’s from months and months of non-stop thinking about it, that’s what I’ve concluded,” he added. 

For the former radio host, he feels like her feelings towards him haven’t changed. 

“Regardless of the evidence you’ve read in the court – I feel like that may be a legal strategy - she’ll always have my love and respect, but time will tell there,” he said. 

“I don’t think she hates me, I don’t think that’s the case.”

Sandilands was the first to pursue legal action against ARN for unfair dismissal, after being suspended from radio and his contract terminated earlier this year amid the fallout from the spat with Henderson.

But last week the radio host and former employer reached a surprise settlement, with the details announced publicly on Wednesday morning.

In a statement, ARN said it had agreed to pay Sandilands a settlement sum of $12.09 million, with $3 million of the package payable in July 2026 and the balance payable monthly until June 2029.

Sandilands has told the network he “intends to pursue independent media opportunities”.

As part of the settlement, ARN will provide Sandilands with “advertising services on ARN’s partner platforms”, worth $1.5 million over the next three years.

Sandilands also revealed to Bruce in a previous episode his plans for the future, revealing that a paper napkin with plans for a subscriber led show online actually pushed him to look into it further.

The shock jock is taking things online, opting for a totally live show again giving fans and listeners the same access to call in, listen live – similar to a radio show – but completely digitally.