With The Kyle and Jackie O Show now over, radio insiders say the scramble has already begun to work out what KIIS FM’s breakfast sound will be next—and whether Kyle Sandilands will be part of it.
For now, Kyle’s future is uncertain. He is on day one of a 14-day suspension after being told his behaviour towards Jackie O during the February 20 broadcast was “an act of serious misconduct” that he must “remedy” before he can return to air. ARN, which owns KIIS FM, hasn’t detailed what he must do to “remedy” the alleged contract breach. If he doesn’t, the company can tear up his contract.
That outcome could still leave room for Jackie O to remain with the network in some form, with ARN confirming it had “offered to Ms Henderson the possibility of an alternative show on the ARN network”.
If neither Kyle’s return nor a new Jackie O format proceeds, attention turns to who could inherit the breakfast crown. While the show previously aired in both Sydney and Melbourne, the Game Changers Radio podcast reports ARN bosses are likely to favour a return to separate, local breakfast programs in each city—an approach linked to ARN’s recently appointed Director of Content for Metro Radio, Dave Cameron.
“The first phone call that he (Mr Cameron) will make will be to Ryan Jon and Toni Lodge,” former radio executive Craig Bruce said on Game Changers Radio.
Toni Lodge and Ryan Jon have become a powerhouse pairing through their podcast Toni and Ryan, which launched in 2021 and now attracts more than three million monthly downloads. They also took out the People’s Voice Award at the Webbys last year, one of the most recognised global awards for online content. That kind of reach makes them a natural target for KIIS Melbourne—although they’ve knocked back radio approaches before.
After signing with Acast in 2024, Ryan told MediaWeek, “Whilst it’s flattering to receive offers from Spotify and the big radio networks, we’ve got our own little team and our own little studio, and are quite happy being independent creators doing our own little thing.”
Even so, Bruce believes Toni and Ryan “could name their price for KIIS Melbourne”.
In Sydney, Bruce tipped another fast-rising duo: Luisa Dal Din and Jack “Jarch” Archdale, better known as Lu and Jarch. The best mates have hosted a national weekday show from 2–4pm on the Triple M network since June 2025, quickly building a strong following. Before that, they co-hosted the podcast We Mean Well, with clips that regularly went viral online.
“They would be on a very short list of potential shows that could do KIIS Sydney next year,” Mr Bruce said on Game Changers Radio.
Until ARN settles on its next move, KIIS FM’s breakfast slot in both Sydney and Melbourne is being held by network personality Smallzy. Brooklyn Ross, who spent 12 years delivering news on The Kyle and Jackie O Show, will continue providing news updates during Smallzy’s program.
