'Big shift': Jackie O's bombshell exit from radio show comes after series of huge life changes

Jackie 'O' Henderson shocked fans and the radio industry with her exit from The Kyle and Jackie O Show on KIIS FM.

ARN Media shared the bombshell news on Tuesday evening, confirming the 51-year-old broadcaster "cannot continue to work with" co-host Kyle Sandilands, 54.

The news has sent shockwaves throughout the Australian media, but there may have been a tell-tale sign Henderson was making some major life changes of late.

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Of course, Henderson went through a major change in her personal life back in 2018, when she split from her British photographer husband Lee Henderson after 18 years together. They tied the knot in 2003.

"After 18 years together, we have made the decision to separate. We do so amicably, sharing many incredible memories and remaining best friends," she said at the time to The Daily Telegraph.

However, the more telling life change came only weeks before the on-air blow up that resulted in her leaving her hit radio show.

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A month ago, Henderson announced her departure from Besties, the business venture she launched with her manager and best friend Gemma O'Neill, including the podcast they co-hosted, Her Best Life.

"Well, we have a little bit of an announcement," she explained during a podcast episode.

"In this big kind of shift that has happened with me, I have decided to step away from our beautiful venture here Gemma, with Besties.

"It does sadden me in many ways, because I have loved and gotten so much out of what we have done together and shared together here, moreso because we are able to share that with a community of people who listen to this podcast and really get something from it.

"We get to talk about all the things that we have learnt and are passionate about and it's been so fulfilling on many levels, and obviously being able to work with you, my best friend, has been so amazing."

Addressing O'Neill and their listeners, Henderson explained she wanted to focus on "privacy" and thus was stepping back.

"I did express this a little bit last year at the end of the year, where I said I feel like I don't know if I should be doing this podcast because I wanted to protect a fair bit of my private life now," she continued.

"You were sharing so much and being so generous, and I felt like I was holding back on everything because I didn't feel like I wanted to share it, it didn't feel right for me at that time."

"I felt like I was coming to the end of the road with it. So we had a chat about it."

Henderson added that she might return to the podcast every now and then in future.

"I won't be a stranger," she insisted to O'Neill.

Listeners of the podcast will remember the moment last year when Henderson revealed she had buried crystals underneath the concrete slab of the new home she's building in Clovelly in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, revealing it on the podcast.

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"The poor builders, they all had to stop working... they're all on site," she said.

"Everyone has to stop and I had to get down on my knees with the cauldron and clear the energy of each crystal and then manifest what I wanted for each crystal in every part of the house."

ARN Media's statement about Henderson leaving The Kyle and Jackie O Show came as a shock to many.

It came as Henderson had spent a week on leave from the breakfast show following an on-air clash with Sandilands on February 20.

The argument came about as she read from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's astrology birth chart.

"Your fixation on [astrology] has made you almost unworkable," Sandilands said in part.

"You are off with the fairies with this s--t, it's mental."

Sandilands claimed Henderson's fixation on astrology charts made her sound like a "drug addict", knowing she has faced addiction struggles before.

The pair have been working together for a whopping 27 years, making their split and end feel even more shocking.

"Ms Jacqueline Henderson has given notice that she 'cannot continue to work with Mr Kyle Sandilands'," the statement from ARN begins.

"Accordingly, ARN has terminated the services agreement with Henderson Media Pty Ltd, under which Ms Henderson presents the Kyle and Jackie O show.

"Ms Henderson will cease to present the Kyle and Jackie O show.

"ARN has also offered to Ms Henderson the possibility of an alternative show on the ARN network.

"ARN has also provided written notice to Mr Kyle Sandilands and Quasar Media Services Pty Ltd (Quasar Media) stating that it considers that Mr Sandilands' behaviour during the show on 20 February 2026 is an act of serious misconduct which is in breach of ARN's services agreement with Quasar Media, under which Mr Sandilands presents the Kyle and Jackie O show.

"Mr Sandilands has been given 14 days to remedy this breach. If it is not remedied, ARN will terminate the services agreement with Quasar Media, and in that event Mr Sandilands will cease to present the Kyle and Jackie O show.

"During the 14 day period, Mr Sandilands will not take part in the show. The KIIS breakfast show will be taken off-air effective immediately, with interim arrangements made for the show."

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