KYLE Sandilands and Jackie Henderson have returned to the airwaves humbled and apologetic after a two-week recess.
They described the lie-detector segment on their The Kyle and Jackie O Show that led to their exile as a “disaster from start to finish”.
In the segment, a 14-year-old girl undergoing a lie detector test revealed she’d been raped as a 12-year-old.
They also addressed the latest controversy, which emerged yesterday after the family of a brain-damaged toddler claimed 2Day FM did not follow through on an on-air appeal that raised $150,000 in March.
Henderson said only 50 per cent of funds pledged in telethons ever come through. Sandilands, who pledged $35,000 of his own money on the day and was then accused of only passing on $20,000, said there was some confusion as to which of the child’s parents should be receiving the money.
“A couple of weeks ago we got a phone call from the dad and the dad said, `Look, don’t give the money to the mother, give the money to me, because we’ve split up and I don’t think she’s using the money for the care of the kid, I think she’s living large,”’ he said. “It’s $15,000. I want to give it to whoever’s looking after the child.”
He said the $15,000 had since been passed on and that “I know we did the right thing”.
Sandilands and Henderson thanked their “thousands of supporters” for encouraging them throughout their off-air period and did not shy away from discussing the lie detector scandal, for which they apologised.
“We have had time to reflect on it and it’s pretty obvious the whole thing was a disaster from start to finish,” Sandilands said. “We do sincerely apologise to the family once again and to any listeners we offended.”
Henderson said nothing like last month’s stunt would ever occur again.
“I think everyone on the show has learned form this mistake and we’re sincerely sorry and we’ve put everything in place now that we’re confident it won’t happen again,” she said.
Sandilands also expressed regret at the fact he had lost his role as a judge on Australian Idol, claiming he had almost cried when watching the program when it aired on Sunday.
“I can’t believe that that’s finished for me,” he said. “It’s sad. I loved doing that show.”
They were welcomed back to the airwaves by their fans.
“We’re so glad you guys are back on the air,” said one listener, who claimed she and her friends had been anxious for the pair to return.
“So are we,” Sandilands said. “I was thinking, `What am I going to be, a real estate agent?”’
“I missed coming here, this is what keeps me alive. I was sitting at home like a toad on the couch.”
