Kyle Sandilands reveals shock health diagnosis: ‘I may be dead’

Kyle Sandilands referenced his past drug abuse problem while making his shock health confession on-air, conceding a high-flying lifestyle was “not the way to go.”

Kyle Sandilands has revealed he was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm and will need emergency surgery.

The Sydney-based radio host shared the shock news on The Kyle & Jackie O Show on Monday morning, telling listeners that he was informed of his condition by doctors on Friday.

“I was told by my medical team, which sounds like I’m already very sick, to have a medical team, that I have a brain aneurysm and it requires immediate attention, brain surgery,” he said on-air.

“If you just tuned in to us after all these years, lap it up. And if you’re in Melbourne, you’re in the part, you’re coming to the party too late. You may get your wish. I may be dead.”

Sandilands, 53, went on to make light-hearted reference to his past drug abuse when revealing he was told to abstain from sex and drugs prior to his surgery.

“The facts are, a life of cocaine abuse and partying are not the way to go,” he said.

Indeed, Sandilands has a chequered history with drug use, admitting for the first time back in 2018 he previously had a years-long cocaine addiction.

Kyle Sandilands reveals shock diagnosis on-air.

“The divorce had happened and life wasn’t great back then so I buried my face into a big pile of cocaine to try and get over it. It didn’t work,” he said on-air to co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson at the time, referencing his 2010 split from pop star wife Tamara Jaber.

“I was a bit depressed,” he continued. “Well, I didn’t even know if I was depressed or not. Just was self-medicating, bumping back dozens of lines.”

Sandilands has since said he got clean in his 40s.

Sandilands and his ex Tamara Jaber. Picture: Patrick Riviere/Getty Images

During his revelation on-air Monday, Henderson urged Sandilands to “think positive”, to which he replied, “That doesn’t work in real life.”

He went on to explain that his brain aneurysm was “not a blockage” but rather a “puncture”.

“It’s like, imagine your blood vessel is the garden hose, and the garden hose is weak and it blisters out like a big bubble, you know, like a puncture in it, like a bike tire with a big bubble that bubbles the aneurysm, so it’s not blocked,” he explained.

“It’s like, it’s expanded and if it bursts, it’s either a vegetable in the wheelchair, or dead.”

Sandilands didn’t say when he was having the surgery, though explained he would need eight weeks to recover.

Henderson took it as an opportunity to clear the air as to why Sandilands was absent at her recent 50th birthday celebrations at KIIS FM’s Sydney HQ last week, as well as being away on Tuesday after the Australia Day long weekend.

“Apparently he’s, um, projectile... he’s vomited all over himself this morning,” Henderson told listeners.

Sandilands returned to airwaves on Wednesday and Thursday, but was away sick again on Friday, when he was diagnosed.

Also on-air this morning, Henderson revealed the casual text message she received from Sandilands shortly after he was diagnosed.

“‘Hi babe, two things: one, happy birthday. So sorry I missed it; two, I have a brain aneurysm and it will require brain surgery within the next month. I’m fine, but it answered a lot of my headache problems. Have a fun day, babe. Love you. Lucky you got that clause put in the contract.’”

The news comes one week after the radio duo revealed the grim death clause in their individual contracts after signing a monster $200 million deal with Australian Radio Network (ARN) in November 2023 for the next 10 years.

Co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson has told Sandilands to stay “positive”.

“They [lawyers] did ring me when they were doing this new deal and said ‘Jackie wants this [death] clause’,” Sandilands said. “I said, ‘I’ve had this for years.’”

As part of Henderson’s contract, the host specified she’d want the option to leave the show if Sandilands passed away.

“I don’t know if I would want to do it with someone else,” Henderson told her co-host.

“Aw, bless you,” Sandilands said, before revealing his own rather savage ask.

“We drop your name. I get your income,” he claimed.

“I’d just soldier on without you. I wouldn’t like it, [but] I wouldn’t want to let that great bit of content die on the vine. I’d rather be on-air crying.”

Originally published as Kyle Sandilands reveals shock health diagnosis: ‘I may be dead’