After a surprisingly heated on air discussion with Kyle Sandilands on Friday February 20, Jackie O has decided to take a few days break from their KIIS 1065 Sydney and 101.1 Melbourne breakfast show.
Last week, the confrontation occurred began as Jackie was about to do some astrological readings around Prince Andrew and Kyle suggested that her focus on the trivia meant that “you’re not doing the rest of your job.”
She did the segment and then Kyle circled back to the issue then saying it wasn’t just him that noticed her distraction. Listen above.
Jackie: Tell me one spot in the show where I’ve been off with the fairies, not knowing what’s going on?
Just one person to back it up and give an example.
Kyle: No one’s going to say anything. Not one of them’s going to say anything. They’re all too terrified.
Jackie: Terrified of me?
Kyle: Not of you, terrified of getting involved. Not of you.
Pete Deppeler was about to get involved and to diffuse the situation but instead the mantle was handed to newsreader Brooklyn Ross who chose the words ‘you’re not that bad.’
It was uncomfortable but electric listening between the pair who have been friends and colleagues for 25 years. ARN and KIIS, I’m pleased to say, did not highlight the incident afterwards on their social media or podcast with a salacious headline for clicks.
Since the pair launched in Melbourne what was to be the next era of The Kyle and Jackie O Show has not yet lived up to the hype and both have been affected personally and now professionally.
Jackie O, in 2025, also had to deal with a terrifying stalker who was arrested in July and her side project and podcast with best friend Gemma O’Neill, something the pair had kept entirely separate from ARN, also wrapped with Gemma continuing the Her Best Life podcast without her. Little wonder that she said on air in July that once the 10 year contract was up she would head to Italy, for six months of the year anyway.
Kyle said on air this morning when sharing her absence for a couple of days that he’d only been in touch with Jackie via text, not over the phone. The first GfK Radio 360 survey of 2026 is out on Thursday March 19.
Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo.