“You need a pretty thick skin to work on the show.” Jackie O’s eye-opening 2019 chat with Kate Meade

Kate Meade and Jackie O. Image supplied

It would be easy to dismiss Jackie Henderson as a voracious publicity seeker, given the amount of headlines she’s generated these past few weeks.

The reality, though, is that over the course of her radio career, Henderson has shied away from media attention, having only given one-on-one podcast interviews to a precious few.

Kate Meade is one of them.

It was the end of 2019 and the KIIS Network’s Kyle & Jackie O Show was fast approaching its 20^th year on air when Kate sat down to chat with Henderson for her Women Of Influence podcast series.

Kate – who today is the features reporter for ABC Radio Melbourne – was co-hosting Breakfast on the ACE Radio Network at the time.

Kate herself had a personal connection to the show. She is the sister of Pete Deppeler – aka ‘Intern Pete.‘

Explaining why she has decided to re-release the Jackie O episode now, Kate says “At the moment, the KJ show as we know it is over. I don’t mind if you loved or hated the show. I couldn’t care less.”

“But what isn’t being talked about was the relentless effort that went into making this show. What did it take to be #1 over and over again?”

Seven years before the show collapsed in spectacular fashion, Henderson opened up about the brutality of Breakfast radio hours, how she came close to jumping ship and joining a rival radio network and – perhaps most tellingly – needing a thick skin to work on the show.

On the whole, she seemed fulfilled.

“It’s just such a dream job,” Henderson said. “It’s just incredible that we’ve lasted 20 years.”

Recalling the very early days when she and then-co-host Kyle Sandilands famously defected from 2DayFM to KIIS, Henderson says “It felt like we were just building something from the ground up.”

Henderson spoke of how the K & J team needed to be on their toes, in a high-stakes, high-pressure environment.

“They learn pretty quickly what’s expected.”

“We want the team to be in an environment where they’re allowed to joke and laugh … they can spend an hour laughing and goofing off after the show for an hour after the show for all I care, as long as the job gets done.”

“We are all like family. You have to have a pretty thick skin to probably work on the show.”

Though it may not have been as apparent on air, behind the scenes – Henderson was a major driver of the show and its content.

“Complacency can be your enemy. I’ve always tried to make sure that doesn’t happen,” she said.

“It’s just about trying to keep it fresh, trying to do new things, bring different aspects to the show so it doesn’t become stale and boring.”

Did she have any ‘non-negotiables’ in terms of work?

“I’m not precious. I’m happy to take the piss out of myself. But I’m certainly not getting naked or getting into a bikini!”

On the thought of notching up two decades on air with Sandilands, Henderson said “I really can’t believe it. I can’t. It honestly is just such dream job, and to be doing it with Kyle for 20 years … who would have thought? I never would have thought that.”

“It’s just incredible that we’ve lasted 20 years.”

“I feel like it’s aged me 40 years.”

Henderson is asked if there had been any on-air moments when she feared everything could come crashing down.

“I would say there was a time, early on, when I didn’t know Kyle that well and we probably weren’t as much of at team as what we are now, in terms of negotiations. And I remember going into the bosses’ office to negotiate and they were just basically saying ‘Yeah, we could take you or leave you. You’re not getting anything else, so be happy with what you’ve got.’”

“So I spoke to Nova. I had a meeting with them. And was really close to going, and then they found out and … they offered me a lot more money.”

“But I look back at that moment and think thank God I didn’t do that.”

Henderson made it clear that transparency is hugely important to her.

“I don’t like playing games in negotiations,” she said “Kyle and I just hate that sort of game play.”

And, as well as confirming those really were genuine Swarovski crystals studded all over her mic, Henderson spoke in equally sparkling terms of the KIIS Network’s parent company, ARN.

“They’re fantastic to work with.”

“I am so fortunate and so lucky to be doing what I do.”

Images supplied.