Updated ,first published
Kyle Sandilands’ contract has been terminated by KIIS owner ARN, sparking threats of legal retaliation from the controversial broadcaster over his $100 million contract with the FM radio company.
Sandilands said he had done everything the company asked during the 14 days he was suspended from broadcasting after berating his co-host Jackie “O” Henderson, including telling the station he was willing to work with someone else, but claimed the outcome was pre-determined.
ARN and Sandilands both separately announced the termination on Wednesday morning, putting an end to the broadcaster’s record-breaking contract to present the Kyle & Jackie O Show until 2034 that is now all but certain to be challenged in court.
“ARN has just announced that they have terminated my contract,” a statement from Sandilands on Wednesday morning said. “I don’t accept it.”
“My lawyers told them last week this would be invalid. And guess what? It is.”
Sandilands said he has done everything asked over the past few weeks, but accused them of not wanting to “fix” the matter, using it as a chance to get out of the remainder of the much-publicised $200 million contract he and Henderson signed in 2023.
“So, it’s over to my lawyers.”
Representatives for Sandilands distributed the statement early on Wednesday morning in advance of an official ASX announcement from ARN, which shortly after confirmed “The Kyle and Jackie O Show will no longer be presented”.
In his statement, Sandilands indicated that he was willing to work with “someone else” in the absence of Henderson, who he has worked with for more than 25 years.
“I said, put me back on air. I’ll work with Jackie. I’ll work with someone else. Whatever you need. Every single time – “no.” They weren’t interested. They didn’t want to fix this. They thought they saw a chance to get out of the contract they signed with me a year ago, and they ran with it.”
The decision comes two weeks after Henderson’s contract was terminated by ARN after the company said her representatives had told management she could not continue working with Sandilands. As a result of the on-air feud in February, which reduced Henderson to the point of tears, he was alleged to have been in breach of his contract following an act of “serious misconduct”.
Sandilands said in his statement that he had apologised to Henderson and meant it. Henderson has previously said she did not quite ARN and was addressing the issue through legal channels.
The pair’s contracts, which stood to run until the end of 2034, had become onerous for ARN just one year in, after the show’s expansion to Melbourne bombed and advertiser sentiment turned against the historically course sexualised content featured on the show.
In response, Sandilands said the company knew “exactly what they were getting into”, having worked with him for a decade.
More to come.
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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.
