Tears and cheers as controversial long running Australian breakfast radio show implodes
It happens in offices around the world every day. One colleague accuses another, rightly or wrongly, of not pulling their weight.
But it is rarely broadcast live to millions of listeners tuned into one of Australia’s longest running breakfast radio programmes.
That is exactly what happened about a fortnight ago on The Kyle and Jackie O Show, when shock jock Kyle Sandilands launched into a seven minute tirade against his co host Jackie “O” Henderson.
The very public clash has now ended the pair’s 27 year partnership on the airwaves and shaken Australia’s media industry.
The highly rated programme has been cancelled. Egos have been bruised and some fans left in tears, while critics celebrate the end of a prime time show long criticised for crude and offensive content.
“The era of the shock jocks is over,” says Jennie Hill, founder of an activist group that campaigns against controversial media personalities by urging companies to stop advertising on their programmes.
“Kyle was the last one from a bygone era. There are a few others who are questionable, but none are anywhere near as offensive as him.”
The beginning of the end started in a fairly ordinary way.
“Your fixation on this has made you almost unworkable,” Sandilands remarked almost two weeks ago on February 20.
He accused Henderson of being “off with the fairies” as she searched for the astrology birth chart of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, who had earlier been arrested in the United Kingdom on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Sandilands, 54, claimed her growing interest in horoscopes and star signs had affected her work.
“You’re not doing the rest of the job and everyone in this building has mentioned it to me,” he said, dismissing Henderson’s request for examples.
She fought back, saying his comments were “mean and nasty” and a “total attack”.
“I would never do something like that to you on air,” she said through tears, adding that if he was unhappy with her performance he should “get someone else”.
The 51 year old later took a leave of absence. Sandilands told listeners that his co host would return soon.
But for a programme that had often operated in a grey area of broadcasting standards and received many warnings over vulgar and sexually explicit material, its ending became inevitable.
“Ms Jacqueline Henderson has given notice that she cannot continue to work with Mr Kyle Sandilands,” an investor statement from ARN Media, owner of KIIS FM, said on Tuesday.
Her ten year Ksh12,921,000,000.00 ($100M) contract signed in 2024 was terminated, although the company indicated she could be offered another show.
Sandilands was accused of serious misconduct over the on air outburst and given fourteen days to correct the breach or risk losing his own Ksh12,921,000,000 ($100M) contract.
Both presenters were contacted for comment but did not respond.
Many people in the media industry were surprised by the sudden collapse of the show. Some had earlier suspected the argument might have been staged to boost weak ratings in Melbourne, where attempts to expand the Sydney based show had struggled.
A key part of the pair’s combined a Ksh25,842,000,000 ($200M) deal was a plan to broadcast the same programme in several Australian cities, reducing the need for separate local teams.
However, when advertising revenue began to fall and the Melbourne launch failed to attract strong audiences, the expensive arrangement began to strain the network.
According to local media reports, dozens of experienced staff members were laid off as the company tried to cut costs.
Peter Roberts, a lecturer in media and communications at the University of New South Wales, says the story has drawn attention because the presenters had worked together for so long and were widely recognised.
Their partnership worked because each played a different role.
“Kyle delivered the shock factor, while Jackie was the voice of moderation and conscience,” he explained.
That combination appealed to listeners aged between 20 and 45, although the show also attracted a significant number of younger listeners. The audience was fairly evenly split between men and women.
But Roberts says the unsuccessful expansion into Melbourne shows that the format does not easily transfer to other markets.
“The breakfast slot is extremely competitive and listeners tend to remain loyal to local presenters. It is therefore not surprising the show struggled to achieve the same audience share in Melbourne that it enjoyed in Sydney.”
The programme had faced repeated controversies over the years.
In 2009 it was investigated after a 14 year old girl was asked about her sexual history while connected to a lie detector. During the segment she revealed she had been raped at the age of 12.
In another incident, a Cambodian Australian woman was told she could bring her niece to Australia if she correctly chose the door the hosts were standing behind. When she chose the wrong door she broke down in tears and begged for her niece to stay. The show eventually allowed it.
Reaction to the show’s cancellation has been mixed. Some long time fans say they are saddened by the end of a programme they listened to for years.
Others have welcomed the decision, saying it marks the end of a broadcasting style that often relied on insults and controversial humour.
Hill’s activist group spent years documenting offensive remarks on the programme and encouraging advertisers to withdraw their support.
Volunteers would listen to each show, record controversial statements and note the companies advertising during the segments. The information would then be shared with thousands of supporters who contacted those companies directly.
Hill says about two thousand advertisers eventually pulled their ads from the show, including major brands such as Qantas, Telstra, Coles and Woolworths, as well as international companies like Cathay Pacific and AirAsia.
She says conversations about sex and relationships can be healthy, but repeated insults aimed at certain groups cross the line.
Whether Sandilands or Henderson will return to radio remains unclear. But Hill says her message to Sandilands is simple.
“You either reform and understand what you are doing, or you leave the media altogether.”
