Kyle & Jackie O have arrived in Melbourne. What do locals think?

Sex, drugs and anti-vaxxers. That more or less sums up the first 20 minutes of The Kyle & Jackie O Show, as it debuted on Melbourne airwaves on Monday morning.

For more than two decades, the show has been a staple of Sydney radio, regularly claiming record audiences and earning its hosts a spot in the Commercial Radio Hall of Fame. In the most recent ratings survey, the show topped the market in the breakfast slot with a 16.1 per cent share, up from 15.4 per cent in the first survey of the year.

The Kyle and Jackie O Show has officially aired in Melbourne. What does its new local audience think?Credit: ARN

But this is the first time the show has broadcast into Melbourne. It replaces outgoing morning hosts, KIIS FM’s Jase and Lauren.

Self-described as the end of boring radio, the program dedicated its first half-hour to introducing its team, including hosts Kyle Sandilands, described as an “ex-Fboy, coke-sniffing a---hole” and Jackie “O” Henderson, as well as their team of producers with talents such as the ability to hide coins in their nether regions.

The show, which now airs on KIIS FM Melbourne between 6am and 10am on weekdays, sees Sandilands and Jackie O interview celebrities, discuss pop culture and give away major prizes. It has faced multiple complaints over the years, including over comments made by Sandilands about the 2020 Paralympic Games and the monkeypox virus.

Sydney audiences have come to expect – and even enjoy – its shock appeal. But how will this translate to Melbourne? We asked four Melburnians and The Age’s special correspondent to listen and tell us what they thought.

Nicholai Jakosz

32, podiatrist, Clifton Hill

Nicholai Jakosz thinks Melbourne KIIS FM listeners will continue to tune in regardless of the change in hosts.

After tuning in for about an hour, Nicholai Jakosz is unsure whether the show is Melbourne-centric enough to attract a new local audience.

“What will be the pull? If I were listening to a radio show, I’d want to listen to someone who’s actually talking about the city, especially if they’re making a big deal about coming to Melbourne. But I’m like, ‘You’re not really, you just have a Melbourne producer.’”

But Jakosz thinks most former KIIS FM listeners will continue to tune in for the music, regardless of the change in hosts, or perhaps even the content. ”The music dictates what channel I listen to, as opposed to the hosts … The hosts are definitely just the cream on top of the music,” he says.

A potential issue could be the time of day the show airs, he says. “It seems like a pretty horny show for eight in the morning. Maybe it would fit into an afternoon show more than anything.”

However, he appreciates the rapport between its hosts and producers, applauding the fact that everyone seems to get their own time on the microphone while Sandilands and Jackie O steer the conversation.

Meg Patterson

24, exercise physiologist, Geelong

The first word that came to Meg Patterson’s mind after listening to the first three hours of The Kyle & Jackie O Show was “rogue”.

“We’re all adults, but it was quite inappropriate. It was an interesting way to start the show,” she says. “They’re happy to say anything they think of … Like them talking about one of the producers who had all these STIs.”

This kind of unfiltered content is not for her, Patterson says, but she believes there is a demographic for it in Melbourne – namely people who need to drive longer distances to get to work in the early morning.

Emma Howard isn’t the biggest fan of Kyle Sandilands’ humour, but she can appreciate the show’s comforting appeal for some.

The show may also be slightly more bark than bite. ”It mellowed as the hour went,” Patterson says. “They may have wanted to start off with a bit of a bang and kind of shock everyone. But then as the hour or two progressed, and school hours started, they calmed it down.”

Emma Howard

26, university student, Watsonia

When the show delved into more informative conversation, such as the women’s rally raising awareness around gendered violence, Emma Howard’s interest was piqued.

“They had the prime minister on to chat, for example, which was interesting to listen to,” Howard says. “But then they would go on to some sort of celebrity, pop culture topic. That’s appealing to some people, not necessarily for me, but it was just all rumours and gossip. It felt like I was spiralling down this rabbit hole.”

Sandilands’ comments in particular concern Howard, given how often they revolve around explicitly crude humour, such as taking a photo of faeces in the toilet.

“I also find his jokes to be a bit sexist … I know he has a history with saying those sorts of things, so it sticks out more when he does say them.”

However, she understands that conversation-based radio shows like Kyle & Jackie O can offer company to those who may have a long drive ahead of them, or who need a pick-me-up before beginning work.

“You don’t even necessarily have to be listening to exactly what they’re saying,” she says.

Tia Webb

24, hairdresser, Bendigo

Despite the occasional controversial topic, Tia Webb believes the program will have little trouble translating to Melbourne audiences, particularly among younger listeners.

“Sure, for those driving their kids to school in the morning, I don’t think it’s appropriate for them. But for the younger tradies and young people driving to uni each day, the things they talk about will probably be a bit more relatable,” Webb says.

This is largely down to the upfront nature of the hosts’ humour. Though it can be graphic, Webb says many young people may consider it refreshing hearing such high-profile people speak so openly about often taboo topics, such as sex and politics. Its success in Sydney will probably help propel it to similar heights in Victoria, she adds, noting how most Melburnians who come across the program now will already be aware of the brand Sandilands and Jackie O have built.

“People already know that that’s what they’re like – they can be a bit controversial and offensive sometimes,” she says. “So, people will choose to listen or not based on that. It won’t be that shocking.”

Stephen Brook

The Age special correspondent

“It was crass, rude, family-unfriendly, profane, abrasive – and weirdly compelling.”Credit: Janie Barrett

The Age’s special correspondent, Stephen Brook, listened to the whole show. Here’s his take.

At 6am The Kyle & Jackie O breakfast radio hurricane hit Melbourne and tore through the city. No one died, but the bleeper operator was busy. It was crass, rude, family-unfriendly, profane, abrasive – and weirdly compelling.

Tuning in to KIIS 101.1’s new breakfast show felt like Melbourne arriving late to the pub and plonking ourselves at the end of the table while everyone discussed their tiny penises, vaping from their vaginas, sleeping with their cousins and extra-long foreskins (this was just the show’s team introducing themselves in the first hour). And we just had to go with it.

No other radio show could (or even would) segue from co-host Jackie “O” Henderson discussing her sexual encounter with a superfan of the show she met online, to getting the prime minister to phone in to discuss how to stop domestic violence.

“This is very loose. Who would have thought Kyle and Jackie O going to Melbourne would be loose,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese opined, before fondly reminiscing about Sandilands’ wedding exactly one year ago.

“It was all good and I got to sit next to Kyle’s mum, and she was lovely.” Then to a mass audience, he delivered a message that mattered about domestic violence and the need for respectful relationships.

For all the trademark lewd content, the show is a stickler to the traditions of the FM breakfast format. There’s a quiz, talkback, celebrity interviews, a secret sound competition worth $200,000. As of Friday, it was worth $150,000, but KIIS upped the ante to outbid rival FOX FM. Oh, and there’s endless advertising. What The Kyle and Jackie O Show doesn’t have much of is music – only two songs in the first hour.

Events took a sour turn later in the show when the show invited a daughter and mother-in-law to discuss a dispute over a christening. Both sounded genuinely hurt by the end of the encounter. But hey, it was all content. And if you want more of the same, tune in on Friday for a naked dating segment.

Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.