Jackie O Henderson’s journey to top radio star and proud single mum
She worked her way to the top of the radio food chain despite some personal obstacles along the way. Here’s a look at Jackie ‘O’ Henderson’s journey to being a radio star and proud single mum.
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She has been Kyle Sandilands’ on-air radio partner for more than 20 years but her controversial colleague aside, Jackie ‘O’ Henderson is a successful force on her own.
Even though being a radio personality wasn’t on her agenda, Jackie O took to the job in the early-90s — and has been on the rise ever since.
Jackie O has persevered through two marriages, two divorces, one child conceived via IVF and some on-air controversies but is now a proud single mum who took some time off-air in November 2022 to address some health concerns following a bout of Covid earlier that year.
Here’s what you need to know about the radio star.
Early life
Jacqueline Ellen Last was born on January 31, 1975 in Adelaide, South Australia to parents Tony and Julie.
During her childhood the family moved to Queensland and she spent her teen years on the Gold Coast where she started work as a sandwich hand at a delicatessen.
She has said she had “no desire to be a radio personality” — instead wanted to be an air hostess or actor but worked in real estate initially — before she landed a job in radio.
In 1993 she was a ‘phone girl’ for Triple M in Adelaide when a staffer of radio host ‘Ugly Phil’ O’Neil quit unexpectedly, and Jackie O joined him on air.
“I was answering the phones, I was doing on-air messaging and a little bit at a time I fell into it. And it was my fate, my calling. I love radio. I’m in the right job, for sure,” she told News Corp in a 2016 interview.
She and O’Neil — who she later married — became a successful radio duo in Adelaide and Melbourne throughout the ’90s before she made the move to Sydney where her on-air partnership with Kyle Sandilands began in the year 2000.
Personal life
Jackie O has been open about her early dating life experiences while on-air with Sandilands — giving listeners an insight into her personal life — but she’s generally a private person.
She married fellow radio presenter ‘Ugly Phil’ O’Neil when she was 19 years old. The marriage lasted for three years and the couple split in 1999.
Jackie O met British photographer Lee Henderson in 2000 and they were married in 2003.
Catalina Mae Henderson, known as Kitty, was born in December 2010 after the couple underwent IVF treatment.
Henderson split with her husband of 18 years, Lee Henderson, in 2018. Since their split, they continue to co-parent their daughter.
Jackie O decided to keep her married name so she has the same surname as her child.
At the time of the marriage breakdown, the couple released this statement:
“After 18 years together, we have made the decision to separate. We do so amicably, sharing many incredible memories and remaining best friends. Our focus for this next chapter is of course our wonderful daughter and continuing to provide her love and happiness, together.”
She said her work, and Sandilands, helped her through her divorce.
“Every time I get in there and the mic goes on … you just let go and have fun,” Jackie O told Sam Armytage in her podcast Something To Talk About.
“It’s almost my saving grace, in a way. Kyle is extremely supportive, he knew what was going on (with her marriage breakdown) before anyone else did.
“(Kyle) is a vault – he will never tell anyone.”
Jackie O said she hasn’t really dated since her split from her husband and is happy being single as she’s busy with work and raising her daughter.
But in August 2023, rumours circulated about her new boyfriend, male model and tradesman Jack Tyerman, 29.
In 2020, Jackie O sold her five-bedroom house in Vaucluse for $6.675m and then bought a four-bedroom property in Woollahra for $11m, which includes double-height ceilings and a heated swimming pool.
In March 2023, it was revealed Jackie O bought a ‘fixer-upper’ in Clovelly for $13.25m — a three-storey oceanfront home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Career
Jackie ‘O’ Henderson and Kyle Sandilands have been an on-air duo for more than 20 years.
They partnered up in 2000 when Sandilands replaced her former husband Phil O’Neil on Austereo’s national Hot30 Countdown.
In 2005, the duo moved to 2Day FM’s breakfast show in Sydney — where they became the most listened to FM breakfast show. But in 2014, they made the shock move to KIIS FM after contract negotiations broke down with 2Day FM.
They secured a multimillion-dollar deal which has since been touted as the biggest ever showbiz contract in Australian history.
In 2021, Jackie O and Sandilands again locked in a three-year, $5 million-a-year contract with KIIS FM.
And their ratings continue to back them up as the number one FM show in Sydney.
In 2022, the duo won the Australian Commercial Radio Awards for the Best On-Air Team in the FM category and were inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame.
Jackie O branched out on her own in TV roles including being a judge for the first ever season of Popstars in 2000 to 2002, and co-hosted Big Brother with Sandilands in 2008.
She was also on the panel of The Masked Singer from 2019 to 2021.
Jackie O also became an ambassador for Weight Watchers in 2021 and has been open about her constant struggle with her weight.
In 2023 Jackie O signed a lucrative deal with WW (formerly Weight Watchers) and shared her own dramatic weight loss story, where she lost 18kg in six months.
She was constantly being accused of using the weight loss drug Ozempic but in June 2023 she set the record straight.
“If I see that (Ozempic) word one more time in my feed … put me on a lie-detector test. I don’t take that,” she told news.com.au.
She went on to say: “It was a combination of three things. I don’t drink alcohol, diet and exercise.”
Jackie O shocked listeners in November 2022 when she announced she would be stepping away from her role temporarily for health reasons.
“I’ve been not very well ever since I’ve had Covid … I’ve been struggling with this fatigue,” she announced live on-air.
“I’ve been to the doctor several times and he said … because I’ve been pushing myself everyday … after the show all I’m doing is just sleeping and I’m not getting any better.”
At the time she did not say when she would return but the radio host came back on-air on January 16, where she was welcomed back with open arms by Sandilands.
She posted a picture in Fiji with her daughter Kitty in December 2022.
“Words can’t explain how good this girls trip in Fiji with Kitty and my bestie has been,” she wrote.
As part of their radio program, Jackie O and Kitty joined Sandilands on his European summer honeymoon in June, and in August celebrated the first birthday of her godson Otto Sandilands.
Controversies
While still with 2Day FM in 2009, a radio stunt went horribly wrong when Kyle and Jackie O quizzed a 14-year-old girl about her sexual history using a lie-detector test, where the girl admitted she was raped when she was 12 years old.
The radio duo was pulled off the air and then returned after an internal review. The Australian Communications and Media Authority also investigated.
While Sandilands is more known for his on-air outbursts and walkouts, the usually cool-headed Jackie O staged a walkout with her co-host in October 2022.
Both hosts refused to stay on-air after their interview with fellow broadcaster Alan Jones was “dumped” off-air by the show’s in-house censor.
Both Kyle and Jackie O left the show more than an hour early, railing against what they dubbed “miscommunication” behind the scenes that left them unsure why their interview had been censored in such a disruptive manner.
Accolades
In October 2022, Jackie O and Sandilands were crowned the Best On-Air Team in the FM category for a record eighth time at the Australian Commercial Radio Awards.
They were also inducted into the Commercial Radio Hall of Fame for outstanding lifetime achievement.
During their emotional speech, Jackie O thanked her ex-husband, Ugly Phil, for “the opportunities that you’ve given me and for showing me the passion and the need for hard work in radio”.
She also paid tribute to her daughter, Kitty, who was in the audience, saying: “She never made mummy feel guilty for not being there in the mornings for school drop-off … She’s so cool and patient and kind.”
And finally, she thanked Kyle, her co-host of 22 years, saying: “He is my ride or die. I know what you’re gonna say before you even say it.
“We laugh, we cry … but you’ve always supported me and I am just so grateful that you have been the one by my side throughout this. If you ride off a cliff, I’ll ride off it with you.”
The duo consistently dominated the radio ratings, ending 2022 on a 14.8 per cent audience share, with Ben Fordham’s 2GB show taking out the top spot with 15.7 per cent in December.
The month before, Kyle and Jackie O had the number one spot with a 14.9 per cent share while Fordham trailed behind at 14.8 per cent.
In June 2023, it was announced they reached their highest ratings point to date in their shared career with an audience share of 17.9 per cent for the all-important timeslot in the third of eight GfK ratings surveys for 2023.
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