Jackie “O” Henderson sent a text message to the head of the KiiS FM Network five months before she walked off air, saying listeners were complaining that she was in an “abusive relationship” with former co-host Kyle Sandilands.
Court documents show the former co-host of the Kyle and Jackie O Show has alleged in her wrongful termination claim against the network that she was subject to “degrading” comments by Sandilands on air. The allegations also reveal a number of conversations between Henderson and senior producers at the network.
On 11 September last year, Derek Bargwanna, the head of KIIS Network, sent a text message to Henderson, saying “… Just checking in. All OK today?”, the day after she and Sandilands had had an argument on-air.
“Yeah it’s fine today,” Henderson wrote back in response. “But let’s make sure Hamish [McLennan] and Ciaran [Davis] start to think about how to address this. We are getting a lot of complaints from listeners, calling it an abusive relationship, women especially. I can send you though some [of] the examples.”
Sign up for the Breaking News Australia emailHenderson launched legal action in the federal court against Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) four weeks after her contract was terminated by Kiis owner ARN Media, and days after Sandilands’ first hearing in the federal court for his own claim against the media company.
Henderson has claimed she should be awarded compensation of “at least $82,250,000” for the wrongful termination of her 10-year contract.
On 20 February, Henderson left the studio and did not return after Sandilands mocked her interest in astrology.
On 3 March, ARN announced the duo’s breakfast show would be taken off air immediately and referenced Henderson’s claim she could no longer work with her on-air partner of 25 years.
Henderson’s statement of claim outlines a “prior complaint” made about Sandilands alleged conduct on 20 August 2025. She had walked off air that day after Sandilands allegedly made “offensive and degrading comments” about Henderson’s “character and personal dating life”.
It listed numerous comments made during the broadcast, including Sandilands saying she had made on-air comments that were “psycho-babble” and saying to her: “… I am worried about you on another note, that you’ll never find anyone because there is, all of these requirements that you have … ”
“Ms Henderson said, ‘… don’t attack me’, to which Mr Sandilands replied, ‘This is talking, this isn’t attacking … you need to drop all the hype words …’,” the statement of claim said.
Henderson then momentarily left the show after telling Sandilands: “you’re pushing me too far”, the court documents said. Sandilands then made reference to Henderson’s “period time”.
Court documents allege she then went to Bargwanna and the show’s executive producer, Natalie Penfold, about the comments.
It also outlines the 20 February incident, during which Henderson walked off air for the final time, after she became “visibly and audibly” upset after Sanidlands swore at her.
“… This shit is mental …,” he is alleged to have said. “… You don’t know what the [censored] you’re doing all the time … You don’t give a shit … ”
“CBC did not attempt to intervene and did not otherwise stop Mr Sandilands engaging in the conduct,” the statement of claim said.
The claim said that on 21 February, Henderson sent a text message to Michael Stephenson, the chief executive officer, and Kerri Elstub, the chief content officer, describing Sandilands’ conduct as “unfair, inappropriate and completely unprovoked”.
She also asked whether anything had been put in place “around boundaries and expectations moving forward”.
CBC’s defence to Henderson’s claims has not yet been filed. The matter is listed for its first mention in court on 24 April.
