The long-running Kyle & Jackie O Show on KIIS FM has come to a dramatic end, leaving staff facing an uncertain future. However, veteran producer Pete Deppeler, known as 'Intern Pete', appears to be taking the situation in remarkably good stride.
Contract Termination and Suspension
ARN announced on Tuesday that Jackie 'O' Henderson's $100 million contract has been terminated after she informed executives she could no longer work with co-host Kyle Sandilands. This decision followed harsh on-air comments from Sandilands that reportedly left Henderson in tears. Sandilands has been suspended and given fourteen days to remedy the breach, facing potential termination if he fails to do so. Henderson has been offered the possibility of an alternative show on the network.
Pete Deppeler's Unconventional Response
On Wednesday, Deppeler shared a cheeky montage of clips compiled over the past year, featuring himself loudly farting in an elevator. "Filmed myself farting every day for a few months," he wrote alongside the footage. Many of his celebrity friends praised this unconventional approach to dealing with the show's conclusion.
Fellow KIIS FM presenter Laura Byrne commented, "I love that the day after the biggest announcement ARN has ever made this is your content." Another KIIS FM employee, Amy Gerard, added, "This is the good news story we all need."
Staff Uncertainty and Job Loss Fears
Reports indicate that staff members were shocked to learn the show would be cancelled along with the rest of Australia. According to radio industry sources, group chats among Kyle & Jackie O Show producers have been active as they face an uncertain future. Some feel they have "nowhere else to go" within ARN as the company tightens its belt in response to falling revenue.
Workers were reportedly "blindsided" by the popular program's collapse this week. The final breakdown occurred after Kyle and Jackie argued on February 20th about Henderson's interest in astrology, ending with her storming out of the studio in tears and ultimately deciding to terminate her contract.
Specific Roles at Risk
The production team now fears the worst, with many believing redeployment within ARN is unlikely because "there aren't any jobs." Some positions simply don't exist outside The Kyle and Jackie O Show. For example, the censor role—crucial for navigating media regulator ACMA requirements at Sydney breakfast—wouldn't have a place elsewhere in KIIS FM's programming schedule.
Listeners are particularly concerned about popular producer Jaimee Blazquez, known as 'Mayo', who is currently on maternity leave after welcoming her second child just one week ago.
Previous Staff Departures as Warning Signs
Several key staff members left the show over the past fourteen months, either due to job cuts or because they recognized the deteriorating relationship between the hosts was heading toward disaster. Their departures served as warning signs that the duo wouldn't complete the remaining eight years on their contracts.
Tony Aldridge, content director for KIIS 106.5 who managed KJO and its unsuccessful expansion into Melbourne, departed in May 2025 after seven years with ARN. Pedro Cuccovillo Vitola, who joined in 2016 through a 'World's Best Job' competition, left in late 2024—a year after being promoted to executive producer—citing job pressures affecting his personal life. He has since gone into business with another KJO alum, video producer Josh Fox.
In that same year, audio producer Thomas Martin and censor Nikita McGoram also exited, though their departures received little media attention until ARN chief content officer Duncan Campbell left in a "strategic leadership restructure." Campbell, credited with poaching Kyle and Jackie from SCA in 2013, departed in early 2025, triggering a mass staff exodus as KIIS's hopes for a national breakfast show faded.
Additional Staff Turnover
By this point, the radio duo were performing poorly in Melbourne, struggling to achieve more than a five percent audience share compared to their twelve percent monopoly in Sydney. In June 2025, studio producer Lachlan Mansell departed, followed in July by promotions coordinator Mel Maltby and Megan Hui from promotions. Guest booker Kirsten Ploog was made redundant during restructuring, and digital producer Ella Kanna also left the station.
Producer Louise 'Schoolteacher Lou' Senteleky was among the most recent departures, with former NRL player-turned-sports presenter Cooper Johns leaving just months prior. Jobs in finance, sales support, and technology throughout ARN were also eliminated as the company outsourced to global IT services firm TCS, headquartered in Mumbai, India.
Pete Deppeler has been an important staff member on The Kyle & Jackie O Show for many years, working as both producer and presenter. His humorous response to the show's end provides a lighthearted contrast to the serious employment concerns facing his colleagues.
