Updated July 31, 2026 — 3:46pm,first published 2:41pm
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Kyle Sandilands has quit Australian Idol, telling the Seven Network on Friday morning that he wanted to insulate the show from an oncoming campaign by activist group the Mad F—ing Witches, this masthead can reveal.
“I spoke with Channel Seven this morning, and those activists have attacked the potential clients for Australian Idol or the clients from last year, and [that] has caused a problem in Channel Seven’s sales team,” Sandilands told this masthead on Friday, as part of a forthcoming interview.
Kyle Sandilands has quit Australian Idol.Channel Seven
“So I’ve told Channel Seven this morning, just prior to speaking to you, that I’m standing down from Idol for the good of the brand to continue,” he said.
Sandilands was part of the show’s relaunch on Network Seven in 2023, and currently appears alongside fellow judges Marcia Hines and Amy Shark.
The show’s 11th season aired its finale in April, and Sandilands said he will not be renewing his one-year contract in September.
Seven’s director of content, unscripted, Majella Hay, confirmed the network was looking for a new judge for Australian Idol.
“We’ve had an amazing four seasons with Kyle and have loved everything he’s brought to Idol. We wish him well and can’t wait to see what he accomplishes with his new project,” Hay said.
“Kyle is a one-off individual talent. I won’t say we are looking for a replacement, because no one can replace Kyle. But we are now looking for a new judge who brings their own unique energy to Australian Idol.”
Sandilands will launch his own new paid subscription platform in mid-August, after settling his unfair dismissal case against ARN out of court last month, having been sacked earlier this year over his alleged behaviour toward his longtime co-host Jackie “O” Henderson.
ARN remains locked in a legal battle with Henderson, who launched an $82 million wrongful dismissal case against her former employer.
After suing ARN for $85 million, Sandilands ultimately settled his case for more than $12 million, enabling him to launch his own show, Kyle Sandilands Live. The show will cost subscribers $99 per year. The appointment of several staff who will work on the show, including some former KIIS employees, was announced last week.
As part of Sandilands’ settlement with ARN, the company will provide his new venture with an additional $1.5 million worth of advertising services on its partner platforms over three years, while receiving 19.9 per cent of any revenue it generates.
Sandilands’ former radio show, The Kyle and Jackie O Show, has also been targeted by the activist group Mad F—ing Witches before the program was sensationally scrapped earlier this year.
The pressure from the activist group, which puts pressure on advertisers to pull their spending, came as the show also performed poorly in the Melbourne market where it had hoped to expand.
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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