New details have emerged from the court showing that ARN previously considered bringing Jackie ‘O’ Henderson and Karl Stefanovic together for a breakfast radio show.
The revelation was made as correspondence was read out Friday during a pre-trial hearing, amid the radio star’s fair work action against the network, reported The Daily Telegraph.
Henderson’s lawyer Vanja Bulut read emails circulating among ARN leadership about the former KIIS presenter’s future at the company following the collapse of The Kyle & Jackie O Show and her feud with former co-star Kyle Sandilands.
“See this breakfast show with Karl, just for Sydney plus iHeart streaming,” Ms Bulut read, concluding that the Karl in question was 52-year-old Stefanovic.
The email then discussed whether the theoretical Karl and Jackie O show should be national or a Sydney breakfast item.
However, it appears that the idea was eventually abandoned ‘for unknown reasons’.
New details have emerged from the court showing that ARN previously considered pairing Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, 51, and Karl Stefanovic, 52, for a breakfast radio show. Both pictured with Kyle Sandilands
“(The breakfast show) was discontinued for unknown reasons and my client was offered an afternoon show at a significantly reduced fee,” Ms Bulut said.
Stefanovic was later recruited by ARN to host the radio show The Long Weekend with Eddie McGuire, but the program was axed after just a few episodes.
It comes after an episode of Henderson’s podcast that was mysteriously deleted has become a new point of contention in her Federal Court battle with ARN.
In new court documents, ARN alleges that Henderson, 51, deleted a February 4 episode of her Her Best Life podcast in late July or early August, along with all episodes released before it.
In the episode, Henderson and her co-host Gemma O’Neill – who is also her manager – discussed various ‘realizations’ that Henderson experienced around Christmas and New Year.
According to ARN, Henderson revealed to O’Neill that she suddenly knew what decisions she had to make in her life, including whether to cut ties with someone and make a career change.
ARN is now using that conversation as part of its argument that Henderson had already been thinking about making changes to her career before her dramatic feud with Sandilands on February 20.
The timing is especially interesting because the podcast was released 16 days before the incident that led to the collapse of The Kyle & Jackie O Show.
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The revelation was made as correspondence was read out during a pre-trial hearing on Friday, amid the radio star’s fair work action against the network, The Daily Telegraph reported.
ARN claims that on February 23, Henderson also decided to work on another show at a different time.
Henderson’s lawyers later formally complained to ARN about her treatment at work, saying she could no longer work with Sandilands.
Her lawyers said she was willing to continue working for ARN, but wanted the company to find an alternative time slot for her.
ARN’s argument is that Henderson was effectively trying to escape her contractual obligation to work with Sandilands on the breakfast show.
The deleted podcast has become particularly important because ARN claims that the episode was removed after the company had already raised its contents in the lawsuit.
ARN is asking the Federal Court to consider the removal as an ‘admission’ that the material was harmful or relevant to Henderson’s case.
The case revolves around Henderson’s lucrative temporary employment contract, which ARN canceled on March 3.
Henderson is suing ARN, while the company has filed its own counterclaim, arguing that she and her company have indicated they will no longer provide the services they were contracted for.
The Federal Court has not yet determined either party’s allegations.
Henderson’s case is expected to go to trial in October.
