Wild amount of money Jackie ‘O’ Henderson is losing in her radio show absence revealed – as shock leaked audio of fight between her and Kyle Sandilands exposes brewing rift
As speculation mounts over Jackie ‘O’ Henderson’s on-air future, the staggering cost of her absence has been revealed.
Henderson, 51, has been AWOL from the Kyle & Jackie O show since Friday, 20 February, after she was involved in a fiery on-air clash with co-host Kyle Sandilands over her alleged lack of ‘focus’ in her work.
With her absence now extending into a second week, the time away from the airwaves is hurting the radio queen’s hip pocket.
Back in 2023, the radio stars signed a huge 10-year contract worth $100 million each, with the pair paid approximately $47,000 per episode.
According to News Corp, both Sandilands and Henderson have a ‘no show, no pay’ clause in their contract.
This means that Henderson’s two-week absence will cost her at least $470,000.
As speculation mounts over Jackie ‘O’ Henderson’s on-air future, the staggering cost of her absence has been revealed
With no indication of when – or even if – Henderson will return, that figure could increase further.
While Henderson’s walk-out came as a shock to many, some industry insiders said it was a long time coming.
Craig Bruce, who was program director at 2DayFM during Kyle and Jackie’s reign at the station, told 10 NEWS + on Monday that the show was likely over.
‘I think that they’re drifting apart. It’s kind of understandable. They have been together now for close to 27 years,’ Bruce said.
‘So they have spent half their lives in a small room together.’
Asked if this rift was ‘the beginning of the end’, Bruce said he felt it was.
Similarly, entertainment journalist Peter Ford claimed on Monday that it was likely that the duo’s contract would be ‘ripped up and binned’.
He doubled down on his assertions on Tuesday’s Sunrise, claiming that Henderson had ‘sought legal advice’ to weigh up her options.
According to News Corp , both Sandilands and Henderson have a ‘no show, no pay’ clause in their contract. This means that Henderson’s two-week absence will cost her at least $470,000
‘I’m hearing Jackie O feels she has to take a stand here and she has to do it to show that you do not have to be demeaned and belittled in your workplace as she was on that particular day when Kyle gave her that dressing down,’ he said.
‘I think Jackie wants to take a stand to show her daughter, Kitty, that you don’t have to put up with it.’
The claims surrounding the most recent on-air clash gain further credence from leaked audio that emerged last year, featuring another fiery exchange between the pair in an unaired segment.
In the recording, Sandilands is heard goading Henderson about being ‘off with the with fairies’ and taking calls instead of working.
‘There’s a lot you don’t remember. Are you sure that you’re the full quid?’ Sandilands began.
‘I don’t know if you are. Remember the other day when I said something about being on the phone and you said no I haven’t? We all laughed because nearly every break you were on the phone, but you genuinely thought that you weren’t.’
Henderson snapped back: ‘That actually annoys me, that you did that, because I was on the phone – I was researching stuff to do with the segment that was coming up and I specifically remember that you guys were like, “pay attention to do some work”.
‘And I was like hang on a sec. I was actually doing work on the phone.’
Industry insider claims that the clash was a long time coming gain further credence from leaked audio that emerged last year, featuring another fiery exchange between the pair in an unaired segment.
In the recording, Sandilands is heard goading Henderson about being ‘off the with fairies’ and taking calls instead of working.
The tit-for-tat continued before Henderson finally had enough.
‘Okay I’m going!’ she raged.
‘I’m constantly getting f***ing gaslit around here!’ she added, storming off.
‘Can’t mention anything to you ever. Can you believe it?’ Sandilands said as she left.
Henderson also stormed out of the studio in September last year after the pair clashed during an ad break.
Sandilands revealed the argument had sparked when Henderson accused him of not being interested in what she was discussing.
‘Any relationship is not always smooth sailing. She cracked the s***s and left, but fear not, this show will not miss a beat,’ he said.
He then explained why his co-star stormed off and told him she ‘wasn’t coming back’.
Henderson also inadvertently telegraphed her current clash with Sandilands in an interview with T Australia in October. ‘Kyle and I have been going head to head a little bit lately, so I will certainly speak up if I don’t agree with what he’s saying,’ she told the publication
‘It was because I wasn’t buying into what she was saying, she accused me of not being interested in what she was talking about,’ he said.
It seems that leaving her popular KIIS breakfast show had been on Henderson’s mind for a while.
In July last year, she revealed plans to step away from the mic for good after her 10-year contract wraps up.
She detailed her plans on-air after Sandilands revealed his desire to live in a French chateau.
‘That’s my plan, at the end of the 10 years to go to Italy and live there for six months every year,’ she said
When Sandilands asked: ‘So, what you’re saying after this 10-year deal’s up that’s it for you?’ Henderson replied with a succinct: ‘Yep.’
Henderson also inadvertently telegraphed her current clash with Sandilands in an interview with T Australia in October.
‘Kyle and I have been going head to head a little bit lately, so I will certainly speak up if I don’t agree with what he’s saying,’ she told the publication.
