By Victoria Pengilley, ABC
Documents reveal ARN senior executives were aware since last year of Jackie O Henderson’s complaints against Kyle Sandilands.
Photo: ABC / Instagram @jackieo_official
Court documents allege Jackie “O” Henderson had complained to ARN Media about Kyle Sandilands in August and September last year.
The allegations were outlined in a statement of claim as part of her wrongful termination lawsuit in which she is seeking $82 million.
The KIIS FM host was involved in a heated exchange with Sandilands on February 20 and never returned, resulting in the show’s axing.
Former Sydney radio broadcaster Jackie “O” Henderson complained twice about her co-host Kyle Sandilands six months before their public falling-out in February.
Court documents released by the Federal Court on Wednesday state Henderson complained to KIIS FM network’s parent company, ARN Media, about Sandilands’s behaviour in August and September 2025.
The allegations put forward in her statement of claim as part of a wrongful termination claim against Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) a subsidiary of ARN Media, allege she was subject to “offensive and degrading” comments made about her personal and dating life during a broadcast in August 2025.
“I am worried about you on another note, that you’ll never find anyone because there is, all of these requirements that you have,” Sandilands said to Henderson during the broadcast.
“…don’t attack me,” Henderson said.
Henderson had complained about Sandilands’s behaviour after a radio broadcast in August 2025.
Photo: ABC / The Kyle and Jackie O Show Facebook
When Henderson walked off air, Sandilands told the audience she was on her “period time”.
In a separate incident in September 2025, Henderson alleges Sandilands made more comments, but they were “dumped” by the censor provided by the network.
“… Just checking in. All ok today?” KIIS’s head of network Derek Bargwanna sent in a text message to Henderson a day after the show.
“Yeah it’s fine today,” Henderson responded.
“We are getting a lot of complaints from listeners, calling it an abusive relationship, women especially. I can send you though [SIC] some [of] the examples.”
In the statement of claim, Henderson demanded “at least” AU$82 million (NZ$99.3m) in compensation for prematurely ending her 10-year, AU$100m (NZ$ 121.1m) contract.
Henderson told she was ‘almost unworkable’
The on-air blow-up came on 20 February, when Sandilands accused Henderson of being “off with the fairies” over her interest in astrology and called her “almost unworkable”.
Henderson, who was heard holding back tears, told Sandilands she was offended and that she would never bring up his shortcomings during a live broadcast.
She left the studio and did not return.
Henderson alleged in court documents that CBC “did not attempt to intervene and did not otherwise stop” Sandilands.
On 3 March, ARN Media announced Henderson had resigned, stating she “cannot continue to work with Mr Kyle Sandilands”.
Henderson later denied that she had quit and was “deeply saddened” by the events and the “possibility of the show ending”.
Sandilands was suspended and issued a breach notice for serious misconduct, with his contract terminated on 18 March.
He launched legal action against ARN Media last month over the termination of his AU$100 million (NZ$ 121.1m) contract.
The Kyle and Jackie O Show had been Australia’s top-rated FM breakfast program in Sydney for 56 consecutive surveys before it ended.
– ABC