Kyle Sandilands and Jackie “O” Henderson were once close friends.
Photo: Instagram: @jackieo_official
Jackie ‘O’ Henderson has denied quitting the hit KIIS FM radio show she hosted with Kyle Sandilands, saying she was left in “shock” by the news.
“Over the past few days, there has been a lot of speculation and misinformation about my departure on the show,” she said in a statement on Friday.
“I want to make one important point very clear: I did not quit or resign.”
Henderson said she was “deeply saddened” by the events of the past week and the “possibility of the show ending”.
“This has come as a shock to me, as it has to everyone else,” she said.
It was reported earlier this week that Jackie O had quit Australia’s highest-paying radio show.
Sandilands has been suspended following an explosive tirade during a live broadcast.
‘Truly heartbreaking to see how this has unfolded’
In her 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.”
Henderson had not co-hosted KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O Show since being berated by Sandilands on 20 February as “being off with the fairies”.
During the episode, Sandilands criticised Henderson for her fixation on horoscopes while discussing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, claiming they made her “almost unworkable”.
In an ASX announcement on Tuesday, ARN Media, the owner of KIIS FM, said Henderson “has given notice she cannot continue to work with Mr Sandilands”.
“Ms Henderson will cease to present the Kyle and Jackie O Show,” the statement said.
ARN said the Kyle and Jackie O Show would be taken off-air “effective immediately”.
The network has also issued a written notice to Sandilands, stating it considered his conduct “an act of serious misconduct”, which was in breach of his contract.
Sandilands will stay off-air and has been given 14 days to “remedy this breach” or “cease to present” the show.
– ABC News