After more than a decade on air together Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O will not return to the airwaves together as the Kyle and Jackie O Show in 2014.
The rumours had been simmering for months about how much money Kyle wanted to stay on at 2day-FM. Some said he was demanding as much as $5 million and he was only willing to sign for one year. It was also rumoured that there was a feud between Kyle and SCA CEO, Rhys Holleran.
Kyle, for his part, raised more eyebrows than he lowered as a presenter at the recent ACRAs when he unconvincingly denied there was a rift between him and his boss saying, “There’s no feud between me and Rhys Holleran…. But there’s no deal either.” Evidently, there won’t be one either.
In the duo’s last weeks on air together, Kyle and Jackie O will celebrate a decade at the top of FM radio in Sydney where they have held the number one spot for over six years and a unprecedented 50 surveys at #1 FM in a row. 2DAY FM has no doubt their legions of loyal fans will want to say farewell to this dynamic duo and so a month of fitting celebrations is planned.
Southern Cross Austereo’s Craig Bruce Head of Content said: “We’re proud that Kyle and Jackie have not only given Sydney radio audiences the most entertaining radio show ever, they have also raised millions of dollars for charities and those in need whilst also enthralling listeners with the world‟s hottest music artists and exclusive interviews with famous Hollywood celebrities. They have certainly lived up to their show mantra ‘Breakfast with the Stars’. None of which could have happened without the strong and dedicated team working hard behind the scenes”.
The duo made the announcement on this mornings show, ensuring that the decision was a mutual one between them and the team at SCA. Kyle also addressed the recent media speculation in regard to whether they were even offered a contract extension in 2014, explaining that they in fact had been asked to stay on for a few more years but still decided to ‘start a new chapter in their lives’.
Kyle and Jackie O will be together on air for the last time from 6am on Friday 29 November, 2013.
2DAY FM will now focus on developing a ‘fantastic new show’ for 2014 with further announcements in due course.
Listen to the announcement from this morning’s breakfast show below: