Lauren Phillips has broken her silence on the rivalry between herself and KIIS FM Jackie O’ Henderson, insisting there is ‘no bad blood’ between the two radio stars.
It is openly spoken about Stellar magazine this week, Phillips, 42, addressed the ongoing speculation surrounding their professional relationship.
Despite rumors swirling that she urged her friends to avoid Henderson’s radio show, Phillips said, “I don’t know Jackie well, but I’ve always really liked her.” I said hello in passing [before]and there is no bad blood between us.’
She acknowledged the competitive nature of the industry but downplayed any suggestion of hostility.
‘I found the conversation about the radio wars very interesting. Obviously we’re all competing with each other, but I’ve had so much support from the industry,” she said, making it clear that the so-called rivalry has been blown out of proportion.
Phillips, who co-hosts the Jase & Lauren show on Melbourne’s Nova 100, admitted that while there may be some tension due to their shared workspace, she wouldn’t let that stop her from being professional.
She even recalled a recent encounter with Henderson that seemed to put others on edge.
“I saw everyone in the club saying, ‘Oh my God, they’re both here,’” she said, laughing at the perceived tension between them.
Lauren Phillips (pictured) has broken her silence on the rivalry between herself and KIIS FM Jackie O’ Henderson, insisting there is ‘no bad blood’ between the two radio stars
Speaking to Stellar Magazine this week, Phillips, 42, addressed the ongoing speculation surrounding their professional relationship. (Photo: Jackie O with co-star Kyle Sandilands)
However, instead of avoiding each other, Phillips took the opportunity to clear the air while casually chatting with Henderson.
“I wasn’t raised that way,” she told Stellar, abhorring the idea of any confrontation.
Phillips, who has built a strong listener base alongside co-hosts Jase Hawkins and Clint Stanaway, is no stranger to radio show drama.
Despite rumors swirling that she urged her friends to avoid Henderson’s radio show, Phillips said, “I don’t know Jackie well, but I’ve always really liked her.” I said hello in passing [before]and there is no bad blood between us’
Last year, their trio got a shakeup when ARN, their show’s parent company, gave them the opportunity to hang up their mics after just a year on the air.
But instead of walking away quietly, Phillips and her team decided to bare their hearts to the air and openly discuss their fears for the future amid their show’s humor and light-hearted jokes.
It comes after claims that Phillips allegedly asked her A-list friends – names like Matt Damon and Zac Efron – to avoid interviews with KIIS FM’s top hosts.
It comes after a recent revelation by an insider about Phillip’s campaign against rival shock jocks Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson (pictured)
Despite already dominating the radio ratings in Melbourne, the Nova presenter is reportedly pulling out all the stops to ensure her show remains the go-to destination for celebrity interviews.
An insider revealed that Phillips has “begged her famous friends” to turn down interview offers from Kyle and Jackie O, focusing mainly on preventing the Sydney-based duo from gaining access to Byron Bay’s celebrity circle, of which Phillips is a major player is.
‘She has asked them to say no to KIIS in the coming months. The plan is to prevent Kyle and Jackie O from gaining access to the Byron Bay set – of which she is a key player,” an insider said. Daily Mail Australia.
“If Lauren can get these stars to reject Kyle and Jackie O, that’s a huge advantage. Especially since KIIS prides itself on being the home of Hollywood stars.
Kyle and Jackie O bill themselves as the radio show with ‘cash, cars and stars’ – but their Nova rival Lauren (pictured with her co-host Jason Hawkins) is determined to keep the stars as far away from KIIS FM as possible
“Kyle and Jackie O has really been the only radio show on the market to date that has been able to consistently host A-list guests.
“But Lauren’s real connections to Byron Bay’s celebrities could threaten their monopoly if she can convince the Hemsworths and all their friends to boycott KIIS.”
The source revealed Phillips continued to build new connections with A-listers as she attended star-studded events with her fiancé Paul O’Brien, who flies stars around Australia with his private jet company.
For example, she recently attended the wedding of personal trainer Luke Zocchi, Chris Hemsworth’s best friend and right-hand man..
An insider revealed that Phillips has “begged her famous friends” to turn down interview offers from Kyle and Jackie O. Phillips builds connections with A-listers as she attends star-studded events with her fiancé Paul O’Brien (second from left)
O’Brien runs the high-end aviation charter group AVMIN with celebrity clients such as Matt Damon and his wife Luciana Barroso, as well as the Hemsworths.
“Lauren has been smart to mingle with the Hollywood heavyweights and I bet she will network like crazy to make these stars ‘friends of the show,’” the source said.
When a spokesperson for Phillips was contacted for comment, she denied that she had personally asked her famous friends not to appear on The Kyle and Jackie O Show..
Phillips was a guest at the Hemsworths’ famous ‘white party’ in May 2021, which was attended by a Who’s Who of the elite Byron Bay set made up of Australian and American celebrities living full- or part-time in the NSW coastal city. (Pictured: the guest poses for a group photo)
The Jase and Lauren radio show had the ultimate revenge last month when it was crowned Melbourne’s most listened to breakfast radio show.
“The battle lines have been drawn and at the moment Melbourne is not very impressed with what Kyle and Jackie O have delivered. These small victories can actually mean something,” the source added.
Jase and Lauren took home the coveted number one spot in the fifth GFK radio survey for 2024. The audience grew by 0.3 points and rose to a 9.9 percent share, giving it a clear lead over Kyle and Jackie O, who lagged significantly with a 6.1 percent share.
Despite initial hopes that the KIIS FM provocateurs would repeat their No. 1 success in Sydney with listeners in Melbourne, the duo are only the city’s fifth most listened to breakfast show.
Read more in this week’s issue of Stellar Magazine