2GB radio host Ben Fordham has weighed in on the fallout between broadcasting duo Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, saying a key mistake was allowing their disagreement to play out on air.
Speaking on the podcast Behind the Mic with Mike E, hosted by Michael Etheridge, Fordham said the issue could likely have been avoided if the conversation had taken place privately.
“If Kyle had said to Jackie off air, ‘Babe, your interest in astrology is driving me nuts’, I reckon Jackie probably would have said ‘oh right’,” he said.
The comments follow an on-air dispute between Sandilands and Henderson on February 20, when Sandilands criticised her interest in astrology, telling her the “obsession” had made her “almost unworkable,” adding “you’re off with the fairies with this s–t, it’s mental.”
The incident triggered a major shake-up at the ARN, with Henderson’s contract terminated after it was determined she could no longer work with Sandilands, while he was suspended for two weeks as the station responded to allegations of misconduct.
Fordham said the issue was not the topic of astrology itself, but the way the argument unfolded publicly.
“She’s not a difficult person to work with, but it’s the way he did it. Listening to that 13 minutes of audio, she was begging him to stop – saying ‘This isn’t fair, I would never do this to you’,” Fordham explained.
“He was already so far into it that he just steamrolled over the top of her.
“That’s where the mistake was made.”
The 2GB host also suggested Sandilands was aware the situation had put him in a difficult position.
“He knows he’s cooked, so he’s fighting for his job, hoping he can whip up support from listeners and the public,” he added.
“My gut tells me the Kyle and Jackie O show is finished on ARN.
“I think Jackie will be offered another role, Kyle? Probably not.”
Fordham also pointed to the potential legal implications for the network should the dispute escalate.
“Lawyers will have to decide if they’re confident they can beat him in an unfair dismissal case. And Kyle should feel confident he can win that case,” Fordham said.
“They’ve got to weigh up whether they invite him back and take another hit to revenue, or risk blowing potentially tens of millions of dollars on lawyers at an unfair dismissal payout.
“Kyle is fighting to keep his job; he wants his job back. I don’t think he’s going to get it.”
Fordham also took aim at the show’s expansion into Melbourne in 2024, which he described as a misstep.
“When you’re focusing on Melbourne, that means you’re taking the eye off the ball in Sydney, and that’s probably partly why we (2GB) beat them seven out of eight surveys last year,” he joked.
Sandilands and Henderson had been on-air partners for 27 years, first working together on the Top 30 at 2Day FM in 1999 before moving to breakfast radio in 2005.
The pair later joined KIIS FM in 2014 under a contract that was scheduled to run until 2034.
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