Kyle Sandilands lays bare secret texts with Jackie O
Kyle Sandilands says he and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson are still friends, at least from where he sits, in his first tell-all interview since their now infamous February on-air fallout.
The radio shock jock, 55, said the pair had been in contact after their KIIS FM sacking, secretly texting each other behind their lawyers’ and managers’ backs.
Kyle Sandilands says he and Jackie O have been "loosely communicating" Instagram/@Jackie O
When asked by Game Changers Radio hosts Craig Bruce and Irene Hume if he and Henderson would ever be friends again, Sandilands said: “I don’t think we’re not friends now.”
“There’s a problem, obviously, but we’re not not friends.”
“Since her and I have not been on air – just so everyone knows – we’ve texted each other multiple times. Multiple times backwards and forward. Behind all of our lawyers’ backs, behind our managers’ backs.”
Sandilands said the pair had been “loosely communicating”.
“I’ve apologised half a dozen times and sort of let her know what I was doing strategically behind the scenes for the settlement which she was very appreciative of,” he said.
He also said Henderson had messaged him and was hopeful the pair would be able to chat on the other side of their settlements.
Sandilands joked he did not receive a birthday message – not that he was expecting one – but revealed he messaged Henderson the day after his June 10 birthday.
Sandilands said he texted her to extend the olive branch and to let her know there were no issues from his side, regardless of any personal issues she was working through.
Sandilands said he will "always love and adore" Jackie O. SMH
“My door is always open and I’m sure when she gets through with her legal issues, or whatever’s going on there, then I’m very sure that we will connect in some way,” Sandilands said.
Sandilands hoped the pair could mend their friendship, as long as Jackie O was “willing”.
Sandilands described Henderson, who he’s worked with for over two decades, as “like a sister” and “like family” to him and said he “will always love and adore her”.
“I’ll never besmirch her name,” he added.
Both Sandilands and former co-host Jackie O Henderson took legal action against ARN. A Current Affair
Despite all that has transpired between the duo, Sandilands said he was not angry but rather confused.
“I don’t actually get angry with her and I never have. Like I’ve been annoyed, I’ve been, you know, confused before, but it’s not an angry thing.”
In a statement to the market, ARN revealed this week 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.
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.
The settlement came after Sandilands took legal action against his former employer, after ARN terminated his $100 million KIIS FM contract.
The settlement will now end one of two lawsuits brought against ARN after the end of the Kyle and Jackie O Show in February.
While Sandilands’ case has settled, the legal action brought by Jackie Henderson continues.
Henderson is suing for wrongful termination against ARN, claiming compensation of at least $82.25 million and alleging that her termination was against the Fair Work Act.
She is set to appear in court in August for a hearing, while the trial is due to start in September.
