Kyle Sandilands has made a deeply worrying admission about his mental health, amid the bitter break-up of his friendship with long-time co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson.
Speaking on his Kyle Sandilands Live show this week, the 55-year-old radio veteran said he had been battling depression and thoughts of death.
“I knew last night, as I was lying in bed, that I thought I would rather die,” he said, before clarifying, “But not killing myself, just dying naturally.”
Sandilands emphasized that he does not have suicidal thoughts, but that the grief he experienced became overwhelming.
“The sadness I’ve had these past two days is just unbearable and I just can’t shake it,” he said.
Sandilands said the experience gave him a new understanding of what severe emotional pain could feel like.
Kyle Sandilands has made a deeply worrying admission about his mental health, amid the bitter breakdown of his friendship with longtime co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson
He later revealed how difficult it had become for him to maintain his usual larger-than-life personality at work.
The normally outspoken radio host even admitted he was close to tears when he arrived at the studio that morning.
‘I sat in the dark in the boardroom for an hour. “I started crying,” he said with tears in his eyes.
The emotional moment marked a break from the tough-guy persona Sandilands has cultivated over his decades on the radio.
“It’s hard to get in here – and you know we have the best intentions to have fun and all that – but today was the first day where it was really hard,” he said.
Sandilands said he felt almost paralyzed by the intensity of his emotions.
He likened the feeling to carrying around a “heavy cloak” and said it was something he couldn’t just shake off.
However, Sandilands revealed that he was hesitant to seek professional help, explaining that his past experiences had made him skeptical of psychologists.
Speaking on his Kyle Sandilands Live show this week, the 55-year-old radio veteran said he had been battling depression and thoughts of death. Sandilands emphasized that he does not have suicidal thoughts, but that the grief he was experiencing had become overwhelming
Elsewhere in the episode, Sandilands made it clear that despite the bitter consequences, his feelings towards Henderson had not changed. Instead of feeling relieved when he heard information about her situation, he said he was just worried about whether she was okay
“Just because I feel sad doesn’t mean I have to run to the damn doctor,” he said.
Despite the seriousness of what he had described, Sandilands repeatedly insisted he had no dangerous thoughts about himself.
“This isn’t me having dangerous thoughts about myself,” he said, adding, “I’m not there.”
Instead, he said he believed time would eventually help him recover.
Elsewhere in the episode, Sandilands made it clear that despite the bitter consequences, his feelings towards Henderson had not changed.
Instead of feeling relieved when he heard information about her situation, he said he was just concerned about whether she was okay.
“What’s going on?” he said.
‘Is she okay? Does she have the right people around her? Is she safe? I don’t know, it’s terrible.’
And despite everything that happened between them, Sandilands said his love for his former radio partner remained unconditional
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And despite everything that happened between them, Sandilands said his love for his former radio partner remained unconditional.
“I will love her unconditionally, forever, even if I never speak to her again. But it is very, very painful,” he said.
If you or someone you know needs immediate support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or via lifeline.org.au. In case of emergency you can call 000.
