Fans have labelled Kyle Sandilands a “bully” after his stand-in radio co-host Brittany Hockley was reduced to tears on air.
The popular podcaster, 35, broke down after Kyle’s brother Chris called in to the pair’s KIIS FM radio show to criticise her performance.
“Here’s the problem with Brittany, right? Within the first five minutes, you changed it from O News to B News,” Chris said of the former Bachelor star, who’s filling in for Jackie O while she’s on sick leave.
Is Kyle being a bully?
(Image: Instagram)Brittany was quick to defend herself, saying the changes were “just a joke” but Chris wasn’t done sticking the boot in. “It’s just that podcasting voice you’ve got, mate. I can’t handle it. It’s not breakfast radio for me.”
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Seeing Brittany’s downcast reaction, Kyle, 51, tried to half-heartedly tell his brother to “give Brittany a go” but fans have accused the shock jock of bullying.
“Why are mean people given so much airtime? When it is ok to demean anyone like this?” wrote one online commenter. “Keep your head up Brittany – how he acts says more about him than you.”
Where is Jackie O?
(Image: Instagram)JACKIE O VANISHES
Jackie O, where did you go? That’s what fans are asking after the radio host abruptly dipped out of her top-rating KIIS FM radio show with Kyle Sandilands on November 14 – and hasn’t been seen or heard from publicly since!
“I’ve been not very well ever since I’ve had COVID, I’ve been struggling with this fatigue,” Jackie told listeners before disappearing.
But the star raised eyebrows when she was a no-show to the KIIS FM Christmas party last month, and while the 47-year-old claimed she’d only be gone “for a few weeks”, it prompted some to speculate she may not ever return to breakfast radio.
“Let’s all hope this is the beginning of the end of The Kyle & Jackie O Show,” wrote one snide commenter.
Loyal listeners are also wondering if things are now up in the air for the radio dream team, who command $5 million a year.
“Your audience stayed with you when you left 2Day FM and went to KIIS so I’m confident your audience will stay with you if you did the afternoon slot from 3pm to 6pm,” commented one fan, adding to chatter there may be more going on behind the scenes than radio bigwigs would have everyone believe.
And Jackie’s co-host Kyle did nothing to dispel this rumour by calling in sick himself for the final two shows of the year. Jackie’s mystery absence has prompted outlandish speculation online from fans who have queried why the star, who has also been silent on social media since October 30, vanished.
Interestingly, just weeks before Jackie and Kyle were due to take their annual leave, her controversial co-star made headlines for furiously criticising KIIS FM executives before he threatened, “One day, we’re just going to not be there…”
