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Phil O’Neil has expressed frustration at being known as the ‘ex-husband’ of radio superstar Jackie ‘O’ Henderson.
The WSFM presenter, 49, better known as ‘Ugly Phil’, was one of Australia’s top broadcasters when he secretly married up-and-coming announcer Henderson two decades ago. Their marriage lasted only a few years.
But today, Henderson’s fame has far surpassed his own, thanks to the success of her 20-year partnership with Kyle Sandilands.
WSFM presenter ‘Ugly Phil’ O’Neil (pictured) has expressed frustration at being known as radio superstar Jackie ‘O’ Henderson’s ‘ex-husband’
“That’s my claim to fame, my answer to the pub quiz ‘Who’s Jackie O’s ex-husband?'” O’Neil said. Jess Rowe’s Big Talk Show.
“I was in a pub in Glebe, and that question was asked along the lines of ‘What? ex-famous person used to be married to Jackie O?’ The worst part was that no one knew the answer!’
O’Neil also lifted the lid on his “rocky” split from Henderson in 1999, and how hard it was to keep hosting their radio show together after their breakup.
O’Neil (pictured in the ’90s with ex-wife Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, left) was one of Australia’s top broadcasters when he secretly married the up-and-coming radio announcer two decades ago
“That’s my claim to fame, my pub quiz answer, ‘Who’s Jackie O’s ex-husband?'” O’Neil told The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show. He now works for WSFM – in the same building as his ex-wife
“It’s been hard – whenever two married people break up, there’s a hard time,” he told Rowe.
“It was hard to do a radio show in between, especially when people didn’t know we were married, but we worked our way through it,” he said.
Henderson was just 18 when she met O’Neil in 1993 by calling on his Gold Coast radio show to try to win concert tickets.
O’Neil also lifted the lid on his difficult split from Henderson in 1999, telling Rowe: ‘It was difficult – when two people divorce who were married, there’s a rocky period’
An 18-year-old Henderson (left) first met O’Neil (right) when he called his Gold Coast radio show in 1993 to win tickets
The couple married a year later, and in 1996, Henderson was his co-host on the Hot30.
But three years later, Phil abruptly quit his job and ended their marriage before moving to London for another radio job.
O’Neil was replaced by Kyle Sandilands, and they later rose to fame for the top-rated Kyle And Jackie O Show.
O’Neil was replaced by Kyle Sandilands (left) after he retired in 1999, and the pair later rose to fame for the top-rated Kyle And Jackie O Show. (Pictured in 2001)
Now back in Australia, O’Neil and Henderson work for the same company, Australian Radio Network.
British-born DJ l said he and Henderson often meet in the hallways of their office building and catch up regularly.
“She’s been very, very successful at what she does,” he said of Henderson, one of the highest paid radio hosts in Australia.
In February 2022, 20 years after he and Henderson split, O’Neil married iHeartRadio producer Samantha Clarke (left). (Photo: O’Neil and Clarke on their wedding day)
“She’s got a great show and she’s worked really hard to get where she is. But our broadcast period was a long time ago,” he added.
It comes after O’Neil announced he was married to iHeartRadio producer Samantha Clarke.
He announced the news on Instagram with a photo of the newlyweds holding their marriage certificates and captioned, “Officially Mrs. Ugly.”
On her Instagram page, the bride shared this image of the couple in an elevator, captioning the post: ‘We did the thing. We took the cat’
On her Instagram page, the bride shared a photo of the couple in an elevator and captioned the post: “We did the thing. We took the cat with us.’
Meanwhile, Henderson is currently single after her divorce from photographer Lee Henderson in 2018.
The former couple married in 2003 and share daughter Kitty, 10.
Meanwhile, Henderson is currently single following her divorce from photographer Lee Henderson in 2018. The former couple married in 2003 and share daughter Kitty, 10 (all pictured)