KIIS FM listeners in Sydney woke up to a surprise on Monday morning when fill-in host Ken ‘Smallzy’ Small was abruptly replaced by Michael Etheridge during the breakfast show.
Unexpected Fill-In Switch
Smallzy had been standing in for suspended radio personalities Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson. Their show faced suspension earlier this month after a heated on-air argument.
Etheridge addressed listeners directly, expressing his astonishment at landing the gig. “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.
Long-time 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 shared with the audience.
Sandilands’ Uncertain Future
Veteran entertainment reporter Peter Ford appeared on Channel Seven’s Sunrise and predicted Sandilands’ likely dismissal from his ARN contract by 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,” he added. Ford’s ARN contacts indicate no reinstatement for Sandilands.
Ford noted Jackie ‘O’ Henderson’s statement created complications. “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,'” he explained.
Behind-the-Scenes Moves
Sandilands, 54, met with Stu Laundy on Saturday at his McMahons Point offices. Laundy’s father, billionaire Arthur Laundy, recently acquired Nine Entertainment’s radio assets, including 2GB in Sydney, 3AW in Melbourne, 4BC in Brisbane, and 6PR in Perth. Sandilands attended with his manager, Bruno Bouchet, fueling speculation about opportunities beyond ARN.
ARN terminated Henderson’s $100 million contract after she informed executives she could no longer work with Sandilands following his harsh on-air comments that left her in tears. Sandilands received notice for serious misconduct on February 20, breaching his agreement with Quasar Media. He remains suspended with 14 days to remedy the issue or face termination.
