Australian Idol judge Marcia Hines says being a dad has turned Kyle Sandilands soft

Fellow Australian Idol judge Marcia Hines has opened up on her relationship with Kyle Sandilands and how she believes there is something different about the veteran broadcaster.

Marcia Hines and Kyle Sandilands have reunited on the Australian Idol set, some 13 years after they were last together on the judge’s panel - only this time, there’s one big change.

“Kyle couldn’t be harder, because Kyle’s had a baby,” Hines laughed.

“He’s got baby Otto, so that’s softened him a lot and I think he’s stoked - but Kyle is Kyle and what you see is what you get.

“We’ve always had a very interesting relationship, Kyle and I - and he’s naughty, but he cracks me up and says stuff and I say ‘Kyle you just can’t say that’ and he says ‘I just did’.”

Hines appears on Idol tonight as a guest judge, and says the prospect of returning to the Idol stage after such a long hiatus was one she really had to think about before jumping into the hot seat.

Marcia Hines and Kyle Sandilands have been reunited on the set of Australian Idol. Picture: Channel 7

“I’m not gonna lie - I thought, oh should I? That was then, this is now,” she admitted to Sunday Confidential this week.

“And then it just felt really nice.

“I felt honored to come in - I only did four shows, but I’ve gotta tell you girlfriend they were intense.

“But the nicest thing was I was so welcome - it’s always nice to go back to something and it felt familiar, which is interesting.

Kyle Sandilands and baby Otto... Has being a father made Sandilands soft?

“And all the judges were great.

“I know Kyle well and he’s always a hoot, and then there was Harry, who is a very serious man who knows what he’s talking about, and Amy, who I know personally, so it was really good.”

And she laughed off any on-set tension from the alleged feud between Kyle and Harry Connick Jnr.

“I don’t know if it’s a thing because it wasn’t there long enough...I was busy taking care of myself,” she said.

Kyle Sandilands with fiancée Tegan Kynaston. Picture: Instagram

“I’m gonna be honest, I’m just happy Idol’s back on the airwaves and I do hope that it has legs.

“I do hope that we uncover some great talent this year.

“My part was the wildcards, so I helped choose who they thought should go through and who shouldn’t, and that’s always interesting.

“That was always a big fight between Mark, Dicko and I - but it was good, you know, there weren’t too many arguments, we all agreed basically on what was going on.”

She says the thing that blew her away about the homecoming was how it was basically the same crew Idol had all those years ago.

“That says a lot about the show, doesn’t it?”

“And then watching the kids sing - it’s always an interesting thing to watch and see how dedicated certain people are.

Kyle Sandilands and Tegan Kynaston with abby Otto shortly after the birth.

“I think they’ve been watching the show for years and then Idol went away, but I think it’s a brand people believe in.

“So the kids were great - there were nerves and all the things that you expect, but they were ready and they stepped up to the plate and do what they had to do.

“The level of talent was very good.

“Idol is a trusted brand...we’ve actually uncovered some of the best talent in Australia in the last 10 years, and a lot of those people that we discovered are still having great careers, and that’s what you want.

“I mean, it also depends on how much you’re willing to sacrifice and how much work you’re willing to put into...you can have the greatest voice, but you mightn’t have the best work ethic, and it’s all about work ethic.”