Jackie “O” Henderson has built her career on getting to know the biggest celebrities in show business, and on the first two seasons of The Masked Singer, her knowledge came in very handy.
This time around, however, as more international celebrities are thrown into the mix, she admits she’s had far more difficult time guessing the identities behind the masks.
“I was on different websites and reading magazines looking to see who was coming to town, but it didn’t help at all,” Jackie, 46, tells TV WEEK.
“I can promise you no-one you’ve seen speculated is on the show. They all came in cloak-and-dagger and you won’t know who they are.”
Jackie promises we will be surprised by the reveals on The Masked Singer.
(Image: 10)
While Jackie is sure we won’t be able to guess the famous faces beneath the elaborate costumes, her 10-year-old daughter, Kitty, gave it a red-hot go.
“My daughter, who was on set quite a bit, really wanted to see TikTok stars Charli D’amelio or Addison Rae,” Jackie says.
“I was hoping that would be the case, just to see the joy on her face.”
“I try to keep her hopes up, but more than anything, she loves to watch the performances and imagine that it could be that person.”
It’s been a big year for Jackie. In July, her breakfast-radio show with Kyle Sandilands on Sydney’s KIIS1065 enjoyed its best ratings in 21 years, topping both the FM and AM figures.
Jackie’s daughter visits The Masked Singer set.
(Image: Instagram)Although Ben Fordham’s breakfast show on 2GB has now reclaimed the top spot on AM radio, Jackie is proud of the huge achievement, but tries not to get too focused on ratings.
“I haven’t become obsessed with ratings,” she says. “If you do, you become paranoid and second-guess yourself, and on radio you don’t ever want to do that.”
Working with Kyle Sandilands for nearly 20 years, the pair have a very special friendship, with Jackie describing him as “massively protective” of her.
“Kyle is the one I would go to if I were in a jam,” she declares. “He’s the person I’d go to for anything, because no-one has my back like he does – and I have his back. We know each other better than anyone else.”
Kyle and Jackie have been there for each other for more than 20 years.
(Image: Instagram)While Jackie says there’s very little the pair don’t discuss on air, some topics are too sensitive to share with the public.
“I protect him where I know there are certain things he doesn’t want to discuss yet,” she says. “For instance, when I had my marriage break-up [in 2018], it was a no-go.”
“He would never push boundaries that made me feel uncomfortable.”
The Masked Singer airs Monday and Tuesday, 7.30pm, on 10.
