Almost one month on from the explosive argument between its star hosts, The Kyle and Jackie O Show is expected to learn its fate on Tuesday.
Kyle Sandilands and Jackie “O” Henderson have not been seen together publicly since the February 20 show on KIIS FM, during which Sandilands claimed Henderson’s fixation with horoscopes and astrology made her “almost unworkable”.
“You’re off with the fairies, you are unfocused, you don’t give a shit … everyone in this building has mentioned it to me,” Sandilands told Henderson.
ARN Media, which owns KIIS FM, on March 3 released a statement to the ASX claiming Henderson said she “cannot continue to work with Mr Kyle Sandilands” and would no longer present the program.
Sandilands and Henderson had signed a $200 million contract with ARN. (Instagram: @jackieo_official)
Sandilands was suspended and given two weeks to respond to misconduct and breach of contract findings, allegations which he denied.
The two-week deadline is now due to expire, with ARN Media threatening to give Sandilands the sack if he failed to remedy the situation.
Sandilands previously said he was committed to his and Henderson’s $200 million ARN contract, which does not finish until 2034.
“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 in a statement.
“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.”
Sandilands said Henderson was “one of the most important people in [his] life” and he accepted she had been hurt by their on-air argument.
“I said things I wish I had said differently,” he said in a statement.
Sandilands says he wished his opinion had been “said differently”. (Facebook: The Kyle and Jackie O Show)
“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.”
Henderson made clear she “did not quit or resign” and was “deeply saddened” by the “possibility of the show ending”.
Read more about the Kyle and Jackie O split:
“This has come as a shock to me, as it has to everyone else,” she said in the statement.
Henderson said the “current media narrative does not reflect what actually occurred, and it has been truly heartbreaking to see how this has unfolded”.
“At this stage, I am unable to say anything further, as I am addressing this through the appropriate legal avenues,” she said.
Network on noticeKyle and Jackie O network slapped with more broadcasting rules
If the pair do reconcile and the show is revived, they will be subject to additional licence conditions imposed on ARN Media on Monday following what the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) said were “repeated” violations of decency codes.
The breaches related to a number of on-air incidents, including a game where players were asked to guess the gender of the person urinating in an audio clip, and a segment discussing masturbation and pornography websites.
Under the new conditions, ARN must not broadcast “highly offensive” or explicitly sexual content during any program featuring Sandilands or Henderson.
In a statement, ARN said it “acknowledges and respects the decision by ACMA”.
“ARN will review the decision and consider options,” it said in a statement posted to the ASX.