Court filings reveal that Jackie “O” Henderson had lodged complaints with ARN Media regarding her co-host Kyle Sandilands during August and September of the previous year. These allegations are part of her wrongful termination lawsuit, in which she is pursuing damages amounting to $82 million.
The KIIS FM presenter found herself in a contentious exchange with Sandilands on February 20, after which she did not return to the show, leading to its cancellation.
Documents from the Federal Court made public on Wednesday indicate that Henderson voiced her concerns to the parent company of the KIIS FM network, ARN Media, about Sandilands’s conduct six months prior to their public dispute.
The claims presented in her lawsuit against Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a division of ARN Media, assert that she endured “offensive and degrading” remarks concerning her personal life during a broadcast in August 2025. In one instance, Sandilands remarked to Henderson, “I am worried about you… that you’ll never find anyone because there are all of these requirements that you have,” to which Henderson replied, “… don’t attack me.”
Following her exit from the air, Sandilands suggested to the audience that she was experiencing menstrual discomfort. In another instance in September 2025, Henderson alleged that Sandilands made further inappropriate comments, which were ultimately censored by the network.
In a text message sent the day after the show, KIIS’s head of network, Derek Bargwanna, reached out to Henderson, inquiring about her well-being. Henderson assured him, “Yeah, it’s fine today,” but also expressed that they were receiving numerous complaints from listeners, particularly women, who described the dynamic as abusive.
In her statement of claim, Henderson is seeking a minimum of $82 million in compensation for the premature termination of her decade-long, $100 million contract.
The confrontation on February 20 escalated when Sandilands accused Henderson of being “off with the fairies” due to her interest in astrology, labeling her as “almost unworkable.” An emotional Henderson responded that she felt offended and would never publicly criticize his flaws.
After walking out of the studio, Henderson did not return to the broadcast. Court documents allege that CBC failed to take any action to address Sandilands’s behavior.
On March 3, ARN Media announced Henderson’s resignation, claiming she could no longer work with Sandilands. However, Henderson later refuted the notion that she had resigned, expressing her deep sorrow over the situation and the potential end of the show.
Sandilands faced suspension and received a breach notice for serious misconduct, leading to the termination of his contract on March 18. In response, he filed legal action against ARN Media last month regarding the termination of his own $100 million contract.
Before its cancellation, The Kyle and Jackie O Show had consistently ranked as Sydney’s leading FM breakfast program for 56 consecutive surveys.
