Kyle Sandilands has been sacked by ARN Media after an on-air row with co-host Jackie “O” Henderson last month.
In a lengthy statement on Wednesday morning, Sandilands confirmed after a two-week suspension, the owners of radio station KIIS FM had “terminated my contract”.
“I don’t accept it,” he said.
“My lawyers told them last week this would be invalid. And guess what? It is.”
ARN Media said it had issued a notice of termination of contract to Sandilands and Quasar Media, and as a result the “Kyle and Jackie O show will no longer be presented”.
Sandilands described the incident as “a blue on air”. (ABC News)
Sandilands and Henderson have not been seen together following a tense on-air exchange on February 20, in which he accused his co-star of being “off with the fairies”.
During the live broadcast he claimed Henderson’s fixation with horoscopes and astrology made her “almost unworkable”.
‘I’m not done not by a long way’
Sandilands and Henderson had only signed a joint $200 million 10-year deal with the company last year. (Facebook: The Kyle and Jackie O Show)
In a statement, ARN said the decision followed the company’s ASX announcement earlier this month saying it provided written notice to Sandilands that his behaviour during the broadcast constituted “serious misconduct and a breach of ARN’s services agreement with Quasar Media”.
“They sacked Jackie. They suspended me. They wouldn’t even let me pick up the phone to call her or anyone else on the show,” Sandilands said.
“Then — and this is the bit that gets me — once they’d made it impossible for the show to go on, they turn around and say, “You didn’t fix it. You’re fired!”
He described the incident as “a blue on air” that has happened “a hundred times in 25 years”.
“And ARN took the situation and decided to try and burn the place down,” he said.
Highlighting his discussions with ARN Media in the fallout of the on-air row, Sandilands said he did “everything ARN asked” during his two weeks off the air.
Accusing the company of attempting to get out of the $100 million deal they signed with him a year ago, Sandilands said ARN Media “saw a chance to get out of the contract .. and they ran with it”.
“They knew how I work, they knew the show, and they were happy to pay for it — because I delivered,” he said.
“Number one ratings. Year after year. Hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for their business. I held up my end. I always have.
Sandilands and Henderson have worked together for two decades. (Facebook: The Kyle and Jackie O Show)
“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.”
Flagging a potential legal challenge to his sacking, Sandilands said: “It’s over to my lawyers.”
“I’m not done. Not by a long way,” he ended his statement with.
The decision brings to an end a two-decade-long partnership between the radio personalities Sandilands and Henderson.
The duo had been expected to remain on air until at least 2034 as part of a $200 million contract with ARN Media.
They had been broadcasting together for more than 25 years across Sydney and later Melbourne airwaves.