‘Even I was taken aback by how much smut was happening on air,’ Jackie O says

Radio host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson has confessed her and Kyle Sandilands’ KIIS FM show was too smutty and that Kyle “needed to be pulled back in”.

Radio host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson is pinning her hopes on history in the battle to lure Melbourne listeners.

Despite dire ratings figures since the Kyle and Jackie O Show started syndicating in April, Henderson says it’s not panic stations for her or co-host Kyle Sandilands.

In the ratings survey released last month the $200m duo sank to a 5.1 percent audience share.

“In my mind I always thought it was going to be a slow thing that would happen (in Melbourne),’’ Henderson said.

“I certainly didn’t expect it this year. I know Kyle said he did. I think you’ve got to be patient and ride it out.

Jackie ‘O’ Henderson says despite the dire ratings in Melbourne it’s not panic stations for her or co-host Kyle Sandilands. Picture: Getty

“That’s the thing, Sydney have had us for years, even though we went to no.1 quite quickly in Sydney the audience share wasn’t huge. It was a tight race and it took us a good 15 years to get to the figures we’re at now. It really goes to show that people slowly come on board and it’s a matter of them flicking over at the right time to hear the right thing.”

Henderson added they needed to stay the course.

“We’ve got to keep doing our thing and see what happens,’’ she said.

“There’s not a lot we can do to control it. Word of mouth eventually, they’ll either come on board or they won’t. I always find if you force it too hard it’s insincere and not really authentic to who we are. We’ve just got to keep at it.”

Henderson says ‘we’ve got to keep doing our thing and see what happens’. Picture: Instagram: @jackieo_official

Henderson, on holidays now until mid-January, stepped out in style at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in Sydney on Wednesday night.

She does concede that the show had to dial down its smut — and even co-host Sandilands agreed, as did KIIS FM management.

“I think it was too over the top myself,’’ she said.

“I don’t think it was who we are really. Even I was taken aback by how much smut was happening on air. I do think that was the right call and Kyle admits that, he went a bit over the top. He needed to be pulled back in.”

Henderson said she will make an effort to get to Melbourne more next year.

“Yeah I really want to, (Kyle’s) a lazy bugger,’’ she said.

“I actually love getting there and I really enjoy it.”