Sydney listeners tuned into KIIS FM’s breakfast show on Monday morning only to discover that fill-in host Ken ‘Smallzy’ Small had been abruptly replaced by Michael Etheridge.
Sudden Change in Fill-In Lineup
Smallzy had been stepping in for suspended stars Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, whose program faced a two-week halt after a heated on-air dispute earlier this month.
Etheridge addressed the unexpected shift during the broadcast, sharing his amusement with the audience. ‘It’s weird to get the call up to help fill in. So the reason I’m here? I wasn’t doing anything else,’ he quipped.
Longtime Kyle and Jackie O team member Brooklyn Ross explained his role in the decision. ‘Last week, when they needed someone to fill in again, they were walking around, saying, “Who would come in and work with one day’s notice and no idea of how long they’re going to actually get the job for?” I said Mike!’ Ross told listeners.
Media Insider Forecasts Sandilands’ Exit
Veteran entertainment reporter Peter Ford appeared on Channel Seven’s Sunrise Monday, outlining the probable end for Sandilands as his suspension deadline nears on Tuesday.
‘No one seems to know exactly how he is meant to remedy the breach. He is also going to argue that he was not allowed to remedy it because he had been told not to speak to Jackie, and vice versa,’ Ford stated. ‘So, 5pm tomorrow at close of business, that’s pretty much game over. That’s when we go into battle mode. Today is the last chance to reach some sort of peace settlement.’
Ford’s contacts at ARN indicate no reinstatement for the 54-year-old. ‘My contacts within ARN were telling me they are not going to blink. He is not going to be reinstated, he is being fired, basically,’ he added.
Ford noted Sandilands appears prepared for the outcome and anticipates proactive moves post-announcement. He also critiqued Jackie ‘O’ Henderson’s statement declaring she ‘can no longer work with Mr. Kyle Sandilands,’ suggesting it should have specified ‘currently’ to allow for resolution. ‘What it should have said is she can’t “currently” work with Kyle, which would have led to discussion about fixing it. Instead, it was taken as a resignation to say “please let me out of this contract”,’ Ford explained.
Sandilands Meets Potential New Ally
Sandilands held a notable Saturday meeting with Stu Laundy at his McMahons Point offices. Laundy’s father, Arthur, recently acquired Nine Entertainment’s radio assets, including 2GB in Sydney, 3AW in Melbourne, 4BC in Brisbane, and 6PR in Perth. Sandilands attended with manager Bruno Bouchet, fueling speculation of opportunities beyond ARN.
Suspension Backstory
ARN terminated Jackie ‘O’ Henderson’s $100 million contract last month after she informed executives she ‘cannot continue to work with Mr Kyle Sandilands’ following his critical on-air remarks that left her emotional.
The network issued Sandilands a misconduct notice for his February 20 conduct, breaching his Quasar Media agreement. Suspended for 14 days, he must remedy the issue or face termination.
