Updated March 18, 2026 — 8:45am,first published 7:14am
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Kyle Sandilands’ contract has been terminated by KIIS owner ARN, sparking threats of legal retaliation from the controversial broadcaster over his $100 million contract with the FM radio company.
Sandilands said he had done everything the company asked during the 14 days he was suspended from broadcasting after berating his co-host Jackie “O” Henderson, including telling the station he was willing to work with someone else, but claimed the outcome was pre-determined.
Kyle Sandilands on Tuesday. His contract has been torn up.Jessica Hromas
ARN and Sandilands both separately announced the termination on Wednesday morning, putting an end to the broadcaster’s record-breaking contract to present the Kyle & Jackie O Show until 2034, which is now all but certain to be challenged in court.
“ARN has just announced that they have terminated my contract,” a statement from Sandilands on Wednesday morning said. “I don’t accept it.”
“My lawyers told them last week this would be invalid. And guess what? It is.”
Sandilands said he has done everything asked over the past few weeks, but accused them of not wanting to “fix” the matter, using it as a chance to get out of the remainder of the much-publicised $200 million contract he and Henderson signed in 2023.
“So, it’s over to my lawyers.”
Representatives for Sandilands distributed the statement early on Wednesday morning in advance of an official ASX announcement from ARN, which shortly after confirmed “The Kyle and Jackie O Show will no longer be presented”.
In his statement, Sandilands indicated that he was willing to work with “someone else” in the absence of Henderson, who he has worked with for more than 25 years.
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“I said, put me back on air. I’ll work with Jackie. I’ll work with someone else. Whatever you need. Every single time – ‘no’. They weren’t interested. They didn’t want to fix this. They thought they saw a chance to get out of the contract they signed with me a year ago, and they ran with it.”
The decision comes two weeks after Henderson’s contract was terminated by ARN after the company said her representatives had told management she could not continue working with Sandilands. As a result of the on-air feud in February, which reduced Henderson to the point of tears, he was alleged to have been in breach of his contract following an act of “serious misconduct”.
Sandilands said in his statement that he had apologised to Henderson and meant it. Henderson has previously said she did not quit ARN and was addressing the issue through legal channels.
The pair’s contracts, which stood to run until the end of 2034, had become onerous for ARN just one year in, after the show’s expansion to Melbourne bombed and advertiser sentiment turned against the historically coarse sexualised content featured on the show.
In response, Sandilands said the company knew “exactly what they were getting into”, having worked with him for a decade.
In his statement, Sandilands indicated that he was willing to work with “someone else” in the absence of Henderson, who he has worked with for more than 25 years.
“So, you tell me – why would ARN prefer to breach a contract and pay the legal consequences rather than honour the contract and pay me to do what I do best? That’s the bit that doesn’t make sense.”
Privately, the expected contract termination has been the subject of much consternation among rival radio executives over the past two weeks. On Tuesday, one executive who spoke on condition of anonymity due to commercial sensitivities said Sandilands is in a “strong position”, arguing that his tirade against Henderson last month wasn’t close to his worst on-air behaviour.
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Another executive said it is likely both Sandilands and Henderson challenge the terminations, but that ARN had no option but to act, with the finances of the deal “only working” if the show was successful across the eastern seaboard.
The show was launched into Melbourne two years ago, but in that time KIIS lost more than 220,000 listeners under Sandilands and Henderson, or 36 per cent of its breakfast audience. The first ratings result of 2026 are published on Thursday.
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Calum Jaspan is a media writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based in Melbourne. Reach him securely on Signal @calumjaspan.10Connect via X or email.From our partners