Jackie ‘O’ Henderson’s ex-husband ‘Ugly’ Phil O’Neil has broken his silence after she quit KIIS FM’s Kyle & Jackie O Show following her on-air bust-up with Kyle Sandilands.
On Wednesday, O’Neil, 62, reposted one listener’s plea to “bring back Ugly Phil” following Henderson’s exit and Sandilands being pulled off air.
In the caption, the DJ joked about the “big story of the day” and reflected on his ex-wife’s departure from the show after 22 years.
“Yes it is true. I am the big radio story of the day,” he joked on Instagram.
“But I have nothing further to add. Thank you.”
Henderson and O’Neil were married from 1994 to 1999 and hosted radio shows together, including 2Day FM’s Hot30 Countdown.
Following their split, O’Neil left the Hot30 Countdown and moved to London. He was then replaced by Sandilands, marking the beginning of his decades-long partnership with Henderson.
The former couple have remained on good terms, and Henderson credits her ex for giving her a start in the radio industry.
“Ugly Phil. I do have to acknowledge Ugly Phil,” she said during her induction into the Commercial Radio Hall of Fame in 2022.
“Ugly Phil is an absolute class act, and I wouldn’t be where I am now [if it wasn’t for him]. I’ll always be thankful for the opportunities that you have given me and shown me.
“The passion and the need for hard work in radio has stayed with me until this day. So I’m not sure where you are, but thank you.”
O’Neil’s Instagram post has sparked an influx of comments from nostalgic fans calling for a “Phil and Jackie” reunion.
“Phil N’ Jackie breakfast show,” one person suggested.
“That would be a throwback to my teenage years of the 90s when I was a big fan,” another added.
“Yes! We need you back at breakfast! Hope it happens,” echoed a third.
It comes after ARN Media confirmed Henderson has been offered the possibility of an alternative show on the network after she walked away from the Kyle and Jackie O Show.
The statement, released on Tuesday, added that Sandilands’ behaviour has been considered “an act of serious misconduct” and he would be pulled off air for 14 days.
Henderson has not returned to radio since her explosive row with Sandilands on February 20.
The clash started when Sandilands slammed his co-host for her “fixation” with astrology and accused her of not being focused on her work.
“It’s affecting other things, like your fixation on this has made you almost unworkable. You’re off with the fairies with this s***. It’s mental,” Sandilands said.
He also claimed “everyone in the building” had complained about her for “not doing the rest of the job”.
“I would never say things like that about you,” Henderson hit back as she broke down in tears.
“It’s a total attack, it really is … to say, ‘You don’t know what the F is going on, you’re not doing your job’, that’s an attack and I wouldn’t do that.”
Sandilands later expressed his regret over the row and admitted he “shouldn’t have” made the comments on-air.
The bombshell feud comes after the co-hosts signed a 10-year deal with ARN in 2023, reportedly worth $200 million.