Kyle Sandilands has broken his silence in a blistering statement, claiming he is “not in breach” of his contract and asking ARN to let him return to his job on KIIS FM.
The radio shock jock, 54, referred to his co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson as one of the “most important people in my life,” before claiming he was told not to contact her in the wake of their on-air spat.
“I want to speak directly to my listeners, my colleagues and the public about what has been happening,” he wrote in the statement, released to nine.com.au.
“On 20 February, I had an argument with Jackie on air about something that had been bothering me for a while. I said things I wish I had said differently.
“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.
“I meant every word of that, and I still do. Jackie and I have worked together for over 25 years. She is one of the most important people in my life. The idea that our partnership could end like this is devastating to me.”
He went on to say ARN – the parent company of KIIS FM – had told him to halt contact with his co-host in the wake of their on-air clash on February 20.
READ MORE: Sad tributes Kyle and Jackie O Show staffers have shared
READ MORE: Jackie ‘O’ has ‘been through a lot’, ex-colleague says
“ARN told me that I am not allowed to contact Jackie. They have told me that I am not allowed to speak to my colleagues. I did what was asked even though it made it impossible for me to do the one thing anyonein my position would want to do – pick up the phone and talk to the person I have been talking with continually for my entire career.
“The truth is that ARN terminated Jackie’s contract on the same day it accused me of a breach. It suspended me from work. All of this happened while I was being told to sit quietly and say nothing. That is not a genuine process.
“I am not going to pretend that everything about this situation is simple. Jackie told me she was hurt, and I accept that. But we have had disagreements before and we have always worked through them. That is what partners do.
“We never needed lawyers or ASX announcements to sort things out. I believe we could have sorted this out too, if ARN had given us the chance. I have a contract with ARN that runs until 2034. I am committed to that contract.”
On March 3, ARN Media had released a statement saying they’d suspended Sandilands for two weeks after alleged “serious misconduct”. He was warned his contract would be terminated if he does not respond to an allegation of serious misconduct within 14 days.
Sandilands continued in his statement: “Despite what ARN says, I am not in breach of that contract. 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.
“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.”
He concluded with a powerful final message: “To my listeners:
“‘Thank you. I miss you. I’ll be back.'”
It’s the first time Sandilands has publicly spoken out about the incident.
Days earlier, Henderson released her own statement, denying claims she’d “quit” The Kyle and Jackie O Show after the now-infamous on-air spat.
“Over the past few days, there has been a lot of speculation and misinformation about my departure from the show,” Henderson said in the statement to nine.com.au, released by her manager Gemma O’Neill.
“I want to make one important point very clear: I did not quit or resign.
“I am 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.
“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 channels,” she said.
“Thank you to everyone who has sent kind messages of support during what has been an incredibly challenging time.”
During their on-air row on February 20, Jackie O had read from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s astrology birth chart when things kicked off.
”Your fixation on this has made you almost unworkable,” Sandilands told her, with the pair having worked together for years.
“You are off with the fairies with this s–t, it’s mental.”
He claimed her fixation on astrology charts made her sound like a “drug addict”, knowing Henderson has faced addiction struggles before.
“You are not doing the rest of the job, and everyone in this building has mentioned it to me.”
“You don’t know what the f–k is going on all the time, because you’re looking at that phone, playing in the stars, and it’s ridiculous,” he added in part.
Sandilands and Henderson have been an on-air partnership for 27 years after starting their careers hosting the Top 30 on 2Day FM in 1999.
They moved to breakfast in 2005 and then to KIIS in 2014, where they were under contract in a lucrative $200m 10-year deal that ran until December 2034.
Nine.com.au has contacted ARN and Henderson’s management for comment.
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.