Jackie O has revealed she plans to quit radio for good once her 10 year deal with the Australian Radio Network (ARN) comes to an end.
Jackie (real last name Henderson) and her on-air co-host Kyle Sandilands signed a mega $200 million dollar deal with the broadcast giant last year, meaning the pair have another nine years left on their contracts.
The revelation was made during the show this morning, after Kyle told listeners he would love to live in a “French Chateau”.
Jackie replied: “That’s my plan, at the end of the 10 years to go to Italy and and live there for six months every year.”
A clearly shocked Kyle then asked: “So what you’re saying after this 10-year deals up that’s it for you?”
“Yup” she replied.
Newsreader Brooklyn Ross then asked Jackie how long she “had this dream” for, with Kyle interrupting to say: “Forget a dream the shock here is I got nine years left with her. That’s it.”
“That’s a long time,” Jackie laughed, to which Kyle replied, “I plan on dying on air”.
Kyle and Jackie O
Contract woes
The pair’s contract has come under scrutiny in recent months, after their expansion into Melbourne failed to deliver the expected results.
ARN CEO Ciaran Davis even called it “an absolute unmitigated disaster”, something Sandilands agreed with: ‘Well, I blame you guys, in all honesty. I blame you guys. What we should have done is roll this out nationally from day one. Put our balls in our hand and f***ing moved forward.”
But that won’t be happening anytime soon, according to ARN Chief Strategy & Connections Officer Lauren Joyce.
In an interview with Mediaweek following the latest radio ratings survey, the fourth for 2025, Joyce said that while “the majority of The Kyle & Jackie O Show’s content is universally entertaining” a national rollout isn’t on the cards.
“So, do I think the show is universally entertaining? Yes. Are we planning to take the show into other markets at this point? No,” she said.