IS THIS THE END?!
Radio host Jackie O could be about to KIIS her controversial co-star Kyle goodbye
At the centre of yet another controversy, KIIS FM co-hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson have sparked rumours the duo are headed for a split!
Speaking exclusively to Woman’s Day, an insider reveals mother-of-one Jackie is eyeing off a TV career without Kyle. “She’s got her sights set on full-time TV,” maintains the source. “The Virgin Mary gaffe was absolutely the final straw for her, she’s had enough of the bad press [he’s caused].”
Last week, police were called to intervene as dozens protested outside KIIS FM’S Sydney office amid a national backlash calling for the 48-year-old Trial By Kyle star’s sacking after he branded the Virgin Mary a “liar” who was “knocked up behind a camel shed” live on radio.
Meanwhile, Jackie, 44, is currently fronting Ten’s monster hit The Masked Singer, which for its premiere had 1.1 million metropolitan viewers across the country and has also taken social media by storm.
FAMILIAR SCENARIO
“She’s realised she can perform well without Kyle. She’s also done well leading the [radio] show while Kyle has been sick,” says the source. “She’s considering not only leaving Kyle, but radio altogether. It’s been 26 years on airwaves – she likes the idea of a new challenge and wants to conquer TV.”
Last week, the radio regular was forced to defend Kyle against a stream of criticism, saying she knows he’s “really sorry”. However, it’s a situation all too familiar.
‘Jackie likes the idea of a new challenge and wants to conquer TV’
“I remember just hiding in my house for days on end,” said Jackie recently, referring to the duo’s 2009 stunt that saw a 14-year-old girl placed on a lie detector test, where she revealed she was raped. The pair’s show was taken off air for two weeks, with Jackie claiming it was a “turning point in their career”. Meanwhile, Kyle was sacked from Australian Idol.
CUTTING TIES
According to our insider, the split will be a gradual transition, with Jackie staying “another year or so, to see out her contract to 2021,” and hit the pair’s 20-year on-air milestone. “Jackie loves Kyle as a friend and colleague, but the pressure of early mornings coupled with being a single mum to Kitty has left her wanting to change things up and Kyle’s latest stunt has driven home that it could be the perfect time to step away.”