Source : THE AGE NEWS
Controversial broadcaster Kyle Sandilands has revealed he has spoken with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and helped spread her message, but the party has rejected claims the one-time KIIS star has been working with the party in a formal capacity.
One day after Sandilands settled his lawsuit against the network that had signed him to a decade-long $100 million contract, the broadcaster told an industry podcast that he was a fan of One Nation and the populist party’s surging polls.
“I’ve been working on getting their messaging across, which I think has been well received,” Sandilands told the Game Changers podcast, according to a News Corp site. He said he had introduced Hanson to some of his wealthy friends, who were interested in her policies and declared he was “loving the orange wave”.
Sandilands was forced off air in early March, weeks after berating his co-host Jackie “O” Henderson to the point where she allegedly refused to work with him. He was then sacked for what the station claimed was gross misconduct. Sandilands sued the company for $85 million, claiming that his behaviour was exactly what he was employed to deliver and not grounds for dismissal.
KIIS’ owner ARN announced it had settled with Sandilands on Wednesday for $12 million in cash and $1.5 million in free advertising for his planned new online show.
One Nation chief of staff James Ashby said that Sandilands was a good person who Hanson believed had been mistreated.
“I know Pauline reached out when shit hit the fan. She’s got a lot of time for him and wanted to make sure he was fine,” Ashby told this masthead. “I think he’s a legend.”
But, Ashby said, Sandilands was “not working for One Nation”, including in any formal or informal capacity.
“Not at all,” he said.
“[Sandilands] deserves to be back on air,” Ashby said. This masthead has reported Sandilands is working on an online show with the working title Kyle Sandilands Live that could begin streaming as soon as August.
“I have no doubt Pauline will go on his show, the boss won’t shy away from that,” Ashby said.
Sandilands’ manager was contacted for comment.
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Nick Bonyhady is the business editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. He is a former deputy federal editor, technology editor and industrial relations reporter.Connect via X or email.
Kishor Napier-Raman is a senior business writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Previously he worked as a CBD columnist and reporter in the federal parliamentary press gallery.Connect via X or email.
