Kyle Sandilands has never been one to sugar coat reality and the radio shock jock admits he is facing one of the biggest fears of his life.
Speaking to Daily Mail, the 54-year-old says the stark reality of living with multiple aneurysms haunts him daily.
‘(I’m) always on death’s door,’ the radio star and Australian Idol host confessed bluntly, before offering a sobering update.
The aneurysms, which were discovered last year, have thankfully not grown since being monitored by doctors. But the threat remains.
‘No one wants to have an aneurysm that can just make you bleed out and die at any stage,’ he explained.
Kyle does not shy away from taking responsibility for his past lifestyle choices, conceding that years of poor health habits have caught up with him.
Kyle Sandilands (pictured) has never been one to sugar-coat reality and now, as he prepares to return to Australian Idol, the radio shock jock admits he is facing some of the biggest personal reflections of his life
‘You reap what you sow. You live a lifetime of bad choices and bad food and being unhealthy and you deal with the consequences,’ he said.
Becoming a father to son Otto has dramatically shifted Kyle’s perspective.
‘When you’ve got a little one that looks at you with adoring eyes all day and you’re the centre of his world, you really do think, “Maybe I shouldn’t have run around like a ratbag partying my whole life”,’ he explained.
‘You can only make adjustments to anything that you don’t like about your life.
‘You’ve got to stand up and be an adult, not just for yourself, but when you’ve got someone else to live for.’
Australian Idol returns on Monday night, and Kyle says the show remains a weekly ritual in his household, with his partner Tegan Kynaston and their son watching on.
‘Otto loves watching it. In his eyes, I’m up there with Big Bird and all those kids’ characters,’ Kyle said with a laugh.
‘He just yells, “Dad, Dad!” and points at the screen. It’s pretty cute.’
Speaking candidly to Daily Mail, the 54-year-old opened up about his ongoing health battle. Pictured with wife Tegan Kynaston
‘Always on death’s door,’ Kyle said bluntly when describing his health
While some judges binge episodes ahead of time, Kyle refuses to watch Idol early.
‘I watch it live with my family. When we talk about it on the radio daily, I want to know what everyone watched the night before,’ he explained.
‘I don’t want to be weeks ahead like the others. I’ve got a different day job to them. They can sit cross-legged with a guitar. I’m actually working.’
Three decades after first appearing on Idol, Kyle believes the music industry has changed beyond recognition and not always for the better.
‘There’s more opportunity now with social media, but it’s a tougher grind,’ he said.
‘You can build your own fan base before you’re even on TV. But at the end of the day, it’s still about good songs and great musicians. That never changes.’
The radio star dismisses the idea that TikTok fame guarantees success, warning that only a small fraction of performers ever break through.
‘There are millions of people trying to make it through social media and only a handful succeed. You still have to be a quality act,’ he said.
Becoming a father to son Otto has dramatically shifted his perspective
‘When you’ve got a little one that looks at you with adoring eyes all day and you’re the centre of his world, you really do think maybe I shouldn’t have run around like a ratbag partying,’ Kyle said
Kyle also has a pointed warning for young artists about mixing fame with politics.
‘When celebrities get involved in political discussions, it can alienate audiences,’ he said.
‘I don’t really want to see actors telling me what to think about world events. It ruins the magic. Just give us the music or the acting and leave politics to politicians.’
While Idol has softened its edges since its early 2000s heyday, Kyle insists the so-called ‘deluded’ auditions have not disappeared entirely.
‘They still come in. Some just want to be seen on TV,’ he explained.
Meanwhile, fatherhood has changed his judging approach.
‘I used to be more cutting and ruthless,’ he admitted.
‘Now I’m more empathetic. I don’t want to see anyone run out in tears with their dreams destroyed.’
Decades after first appearing on Idol, Kyle believes the music industry has changed beyond recognition and not always for the better. Pictured alongside Marcia Hines and Amy Shark
That said, he remains unapologetically honest.
‘I call it a cuddle and a slap. You’ve got to give reality, but with some encouragement,’ he said.
Kyle says that viewers often miss the extensive duty of care shown behind the scenes.
‘You might only see ten seconds of harsh comments, but sometimes we spend 20 minutes reassuring someone off-camera,’ he explained.
‘What you see on TV is a snapshot. It’s still a contest.’
Away from Idol, Kyle’s enduring partnership with his radio co-host Jackie O remains one of Australian media’s most recognisable friendships.
While Jackie has embraced a more glamorous Eastern Suburbs social life hanging out with the likes of Pip Edwards, Kyle insists there is no divide.
‘I’ve been to her boat parties, too cool for me,’ he said with a laugh.
‘Everyone’s in satin pyjamas and jewellery stuck to their foreheads, and I’m in a T-shirt and shorts thinking I’m underdressed.’
While Jackie has embraced a more glamorous Eastern Suburbs social life hanging out with the likes of Pip Edwards (both pictured), Kyle insisted that there is no divide
He describes Jackie as ‘living her best life’, and praises her personally and professionally.
‘The radio show’s going well, the staff are great, the family’s good. No complaints so far this year,’ he said.
As for his own appearance, Kyle laughs off questions about his slick new hairstyle.
‘Two years ago I saw myself on TV and thought my hair looked like someone’s auntie who’d just got out of jail,’ he joked.
‘I said get rid of it. No height this year. Slick. No blow-drying nonsense.’
Meanwhile, Kyle denies any suggestion that the Married At First Sight cast are banned from his radio show, despite the hit show rivalling Australian Idol.
‘It’s not banned. It just hasn’t been that interesting to us lately,’ he said.
‘If anything exciting happens, we’ll cover it. There’s room for everyone on the dial.’
Australian Idol returns Monday at 7.30pm on Channel Seven.