There was a bit of premature news about yesterday when a release went out from a PR about the start of The Kyle and Jackie O Show in Melbourne.
There was a lot of action from the duo in Melbourne. But their show hasn’t started yet.
Jackie Henderson spent a very high-profile weekend at the Australian Open. After watching the Men’s Final on Sunday night, Jackie co-hosted the Monday breakfast show from Melbourne.
She sat amongst the celebrities watching on centre court. She also toured the stadium facilities.
Watch Jackie O’s Australian Open video here.
Meanwhile, Kyle was on air with KIIS 101.1 daytime announcer Byron Cooke. ARN has also trusted stewardship of the breakfast show to Cooke until The Kyle and Jackie O Show really does start.
The ARN brains trust that will decide when K&J start in Melbourne. Kyle and Jackie of course, but also ARN CEO Ciaran Davis and chief content officer Duncan Campbell
Kyle explains Melbourne delay
During the interview with Cooke, run on KIIS 101.1 on Monday, Sandilands revealed the reason he didn’t want to turn on the tap just yet for Melbourne listeners.
The interview aired in two parts after 8.30am.
For people in Melbourne who don’t listen to the K&J Hour of Power daily, Cooke has been introducing the new show to the breakfast audience.
As to the start date in Melbourne, Sandilands admitted it was a “dilemma”. He told Cooke that he hadn’t yet chosen the date.
“A lot of people keep asking, when is this thing starting? A lot of people thought it would already be on. It was never going to be on now. I told the management of the network, when you move us into the new studios because we’re moving buildings in about four weeks and it’s going to be the state of the art, the greatest radio studio ever built.”
New ARN studios have been worked on over the summer in North Sydney and should be ready around March 2024.
Jackie O with the K&J team at ACRAS last year
Not just sex talk!
When talking about the show’s content, Sandilands told Cooke: “A lot of people think, oh, they just talk about vaginas and we do a lot of vagina chat, don’t get me wrong, but we also do nice things.
“We have a laugh. We do a very different show. Whatever you can currently hear in Melbourne, they’re all fine. There’s nothing wrong with all these broadcasters. It’s a great industry, the radio industry, but our show is very different. It is nothing like what you’ve really heard in breakfast radio before.”
Because The Kyle and Jackie O Show runs so late each day, finishing usually between 10-11am, Kyle said they have a new range of opposition after 9am. He reckons some of them were scared of the competition.
“Even the 3AW guy threw in the towel because he knew the writing was on the wall. I’m out. Neil Mitchell, yeah, he was like, oh shit, I can’t compete.”
See also: ‘A very different show’: Kyle Sandilands says Melbourne doubters don’t know him
Misunderstood
Sandilands said he was no pretender and the show was misunderstood.
“No, I understand that people are surprised, because I feel these are people that have not really listened or watched me,’’ he said.
“Or maybe, you know, I’m not in their orbit, but they’ve only read something or heard something every now and then.
“If I give someone with cancer the trip of a lifetime to have the last family holiday with their family before they die. No one writes about that.”
Byron Cooke
The Golden microphone
Pride of place in the KIIS 106.5 breakfast studio every morning is the golden microphone Kyle uses to broadcast.
Cooke asked him about it on Monday. “If you are changing studios could I get that microphone you are on now?” asked Cooke. “I would love one.”
Sandilands said he’s actually got a few of them. He then turned toward his manager Bruno Bouchet and told him to organise for Cooke to get a golden microphone.
After revealing he was in the Melbourne studio all by himself, Sandilands got all the members of his team to shout out to the solo DJ. “It’s like you’ve got a whole football team,” joked Cooke after they also sent him a cheerio.
See also: Kyle and Jackie O top the Mediaweek Star Power 25 for second successive year