Broadcaster Jackie O starts her new autobiography with: “I’ve always strived to be honest in my public life; however, there’s a lot I’ve kept private. Now, it’s time to tell the whole truth.”
With just days before the book is released on October 29, Jackie O read an extract on air this morning.
Tearing up as she delivered the lines, Jackie revealed she admitted herself to the Betty Ford Centre when she finished the radio year early in 2022.
The reveal on air today marks the start of a publicity campaign to promote the book. Jackie wrote the book with Nine Publishing journalist Konrad Marshall. That connection sees Jackie the star of a cover story in Good Weekend on Saturday.
Part of that story has been published online this morning.
The cover story explains how she turned to pills and alcohol while feeling “diminished, untethered and alone” in her new life.
“By that point, I had no self-esteem, so I was insecure, vulnerable, and heartbroken,” she said. “It was a recipe for disaster, and I took the coward’s way out to escape those feelings.”
Henderson has kept her secret until now to focus solely on her health, with only a small group of trusted confidantes, including her manager, personal assistant, and parents, being let in on the extent of her problem. Close friends, extended family, and even her co-host Sandilands were kept in the dark until today.
“Where do you draw the line?” she said of her decision to close ranks around the personal problem. “I just didn’t want anyone to know until I had at least gotten a year or more of sobriety under my belt.”
“I can only speak to my experience, because my addiction is so different to anyone else’s,” Henderson noted. “But people can ask me anything they want, and I’m OK with that. I brought this up, I put it out there myself, so I’m well and truly OK talking about it. I’m excited that I can be more authentic than I’ve ever been.”
See also: Meet Jackie O’s Bestie Gemma O’Neill – Media executive as reluctant podcast star