Kyle Sandilands says he has apologised to his co-host, Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, and is “devastated” that their partnership could be ending in his first public comments since their shock split.

In a lengthy statement issued on Tuesday, the Kiis FM radio host said he had been told by the broadcaster’s parent company, the Australian Radio Network (ARN), that he was “not allowed to contact Jackie” or his colleagues after her exit from the $200m Kyle and Jackie O Show on Tuesday 3 March.

He said ARN terminated Henderson’s contract the same day he was suspended from work for a fortnight, accusing the media company of not running a “genuine process”.

“On 20 February, I had an argument with Jackie on air about something that had been bothering me for a while,” he said in the statement, provided to Guardian Australia.

“I said things I wish I had said differently. That same evening, I sent Jackie a message telling her I was sorry for anything I said that didn’t go down well, that I love her and care for her, and that I could have handled it better.

“I meant every word of that, and I still do. Jackie and I have worked together for over 25 years. She is one of the most important people in my life. The idea that our partnership could end like this is devastating to me.”

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Sandilands said he did not believe he was in breach of his $100m contract.

“Despite what ARN says, I am not in breach of that contract,” he said.

On Friday 6 March, Henderson said she did “not quit or resign” from the program and was “deeply saddened” the hit breakfast radio show may come to an end.

“This has come as a shock to me, as it has to everyone else,” she said, appearing to contradict the explanation given earlier by ARN which said Henderson had “given notice that she ‘cannot continue to work with Mr Kyle Sandilands’” and her contract had been terminated.

ARN told the ASX the show had been taken off the air and Sandilands had been accused of “serious misconduct”.

“ARN has terminated the services agreement with Henderson Media Pty Ltd, under which Ms Henderson presents the Kyle and Jackie O show,” ARN said.

Sandilands said he “did what was asked” and refrained from speaking to Henderson, “even though it made it impossible for me to do the one thing anyone in my position would want to do – pick up the phone and talk to the person I have been talking with continually for my entire career”.

“The truth is that ARN terminated Jackie’s contract on the same day it accused me of a breach. It suspended me from work,” he said.

“All of this happened while I was being told to sit quietly and say nothing. That is not a genuine process.”

Sandilands added he would not pretend that “everything about this situation is simple”, and accepted that he hurt his colleague.

“But we have had disagreements before and we have always worked through them. That is what partners do,” he said.

“We never needed lawyers or ASX announcements to sort things out. I believe we could have sorted this out too, if ARN had given us the chance.”

Sandilands said he was committed to his contract with ARN, which is due to run until 2034, and was not in breach of his contract “despite what ARN says”.

“I want to be on air. I want to be with my audience. I want to do the job I have done my entire adult life,” he said.

“I am asking ARN to do the right thing: honour our agreement and let me get back to doing what I do best – entertaining the people who have supported this show for more than two decades.”

A fortnight ago, Henderson became emotional after her on-air partner of 25 years, Sandilands, mocked her for her interest in astrology.

He accused her of not doing her job, of being “unfocused” and “off with the pixies” after she dissected the birth chart of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

Henderson said in response: “I would never say things like that about you. 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.”

She did not return to work the following week, and after 10 days, ARN said the Kiis breakfast show would be taken off air effective immediately.

ARN was approached for comment.