As the radio industry continues to process the abrupt end of The Kyle & Jackie O Show, former KIIS contributor turned Triple M breakfast host Beau Ryan has offered a candid assessment of what the future might hold for the country’s most famous radio duo.
Speaking on Triple M Breakfast with Beau, Cat & Woodsy, Ryan said he struggles to see Jackie ‘O’ Henderson returning to the early-morning grind, arguing the veteran broadcaster has little left to prove after decades at the top of the format.
Ryan, who worked as a regular contributor on the KIIS breakfast program before joining Triple M in 2025, said Henderson could easily succeed if she returned to breakfast radio, but questioned why she would want to.
“I don’t see Jackie O doing brekky radio again,” Ryan said.
“Breakfast radio? Not again, no. She could do whatever she wanted to, and she would succeed in brekkie radio. But why would she?”
Ryan noted Henderson has spent years earning significant salaries in the role and suggested the demands of the format may no longer appeal.
“In my opinion, she doesn’t have anything to prove,” he said, adding that Henderson has already demonstrated she can succeed across other media, including television.
“She’s made serious money, like a serious amount, and people say they’re only two years into the $10 million deal… but they’ve been on very, very big money for a very long time.”
Kyle Sandilands could re-emerge in a different format
While Ryan questioned Henderson’s return to breakfast, he suggested Kyle Sandilands could easily resurface elsewhere in audio, potentially outside the traditional commercial radio model.
“Kyle can go wherever he wants, in my opinion,” Ryan said, suggesting Sandilands could follow the path of other broadcasters who have moved into podcasting or longer-form audio.
“If he wants, he’ll pop up on the radio. But he doesn’t have to do a podcast. He could do something like a Howard Stern situation.”
Ryan drew comparisons between Sandilands and the legendary US shock jock, saying outspoken broadcasters have long played a central role in talk radio.
“There’s a lot of Howard Stern and Kyle in each other,” he said.
“He’s a shock jock. He’s our shock jock… John Laws was our original shock jock, Kyle’s levelled up on that, and it’s much harder to do that on commercial radio now.”
Ryan also speculated that Sandilands may not return to ARN, suggesting both hosts have the financial freedom to pursue other opportunities.
“I don’t think he’ll work there ever again,” Ryan said.
“Why would they both want to work there? Jackie’s been offered a gig to work there, but they don’t need to work. They’ve got nothing to prove to anyone.”
The big question facing ARN
With breakfast on KIIS now suddenly vacant, Ryan said the bigger question facing the network is what ARN does next.
“What ARN do is the big question,” he said.
“I think they’re going to throw everything at Sophie Monk.”
Ryan speculated that the broadcaster could pair the television and radio personality with another high-profile name, suggesting comedian Jim Jefferies as a potential co-host.
“You know who I think they’re going to go for? I think they’re going to go for Jim Jefferies,” Ryan said.
“But they’ve got a situation there, and I think Sophie Monk is where they’re going to go.”
Ryan added that replacing The Kyle & Jackie O Show will be no small task.
“Whether you like it or not, everyone runs off the back of Kyle & Jackie O over there,” he said.
“That’s gone, that’s over.”
The team at Triple M Breakfast with Beau, Cat & Woodsy. Source: SCA
Ryan rules out teaming up with Jackie O
Ryan was also asked whether he would consider returning to ARN to co-host with Henderson if approached.
His answer was definitive.
“All things considered, I love it here so much,” Ryan said.
“The working environment is so important, especially doing hours like this. Anyone who gets up with a ‘3’ in it, you have to go work somewhere that you love.”
Ryan said the chemistry he currently shares with co-hosts Aaron Woods and Cat Lynch is something he values highly.
“The three of us are good friends, and we’ve got a good thing going on here,” he said.
The Kyle few listeners see
Ryan also used the conversation to reflect on his personal experience working with Sandilands during his time filling in on the KIIS breakfast show.
While he said it initially took time to build a relationship with the outspoken host, Ryan described Sandilands as one of the most generous people he had worked with.
“At first, I couldn’t really get in with Kyle,” Ryan said. “But when I eventually did after a couple of years… he’s the most generous person I’ve ever met. Whatever you need, Kyle will look after you.”
To illustrate the point, Ryan shared a story from his time house-sitting for Sandilands’ manager, Bruno Bouchet. Late one night, he said, a man arrived unexpectedly at the door holding the keys to a luxury car.
The vehicle, a Maybach, had been purchased by Sandilands for a member of the breakfast show’s production team who had once mentioned it was their dream car.
Ryan said the surprise delivery reflected the way Sandilands often treated the people around him.
“He’s that kind of guy,” Ryan said. “They look after their team.”
But Ryan also acknowledged the human impact of the show’s sudden end, noting that many behind-the-scenes staff now face an uncertain future.