The First Ratings Since The Kyle & Jackie O Show Was Axed Are In, And They Tell A Story

New radio ratings have revealed the impact of The Kyle & Jackie O Show losing its two namesake hosts, and it turns out their absence is being felt differently across the country.

The listenership stats come in the latest round of GfK’s radio ratings, which are the first to be released since the hosting duo shockingly left the airwaves after an on-air spat earlier this year.

It measures ratings from the period spanning February 8 to April 4, meaning the majority of it fell after the pair’s final show in mid-February and Sandilands’ suspension on March 3.

According to the figures, The Kyle & Jackie O Show’s ratings dropped just one per cent in Sydney following Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson’s departure, falling from a 12.7 per cent share to 11.7 per cent among Sydney listeners.

Those ratings come as radio host Mike Etheridge (Mike E) continues to fill-in for the recently ousted hosts in KIIS FM’s Sydney studios. 

Sandilands and Henderson’s departure might not have made a ratings dent in Sydney, but it actually led to a slight bump in Melbourne. In that city, the radio show enjoyed a minor jump from a 5.1 per cent share to 5.4 per cent.

Overall, the Kyle & Jackie O Show still managed to maintain its long-running top spot as the number one breakfast radio show in both Sydney and Melbourne. 

It comes amid the ongoing fallout from an on-air argument that saw Sandilands berate Henderson over her “unworkable” fixation on astrology. 

In the aftermath, Henderson and Sandilands were pulled from the airwaves, with both of them filing lawsuits accusing parent company ARN of termination without cause. 

ARN fired back in a countersuit this week, claiming Henderson has repeatedly complained about Sandilands and accused Sandilands of a list of alleged on-air tirades that impacted ARN’s advertising revenue and profits.

The livestreamed case will go before the Federal Court on Friday morning.

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