Veteran Australian radio personality and media personality Kyle Sandilands has announced his immediate departure from his judging role on the hit reality singing competition *Australian Idol*, citing a deliberate activist campaign targeting the show’s advertising partners as the core reason for his exit. The 55-year-old, who has twice held a judging seat on the program, framed his exit as a decision made to protect the long-term viability of the *Australian Idol* brand.
Sandilands confirmed the exit in comments to Nine Newspapers, explaining that advocacy group Mad F**king Witches had directly targeted both returning and potential advertisers for the Channel Seven-broadcast series, creating significant disruptions for the network’s sales department. “Those activists have attacked the potential clients for Australian Idol or the clients from last year, and has caused a problem in Channel Seven’s sales team,” Sandilands told reporters. “So I’ve told Channel Seven this morning … that I’m standing down from Idol for the good of the brand to continue.”
Sandilands’ exit caps a turbulent 12 months for the high-profile media personality, a period marked by public splits, legal battles, major health news and an upcoming career pivot. Most notably, he split from his long-time on-air co-host Jackie O Henderson earlier this year, a rift that came after he made controversial public comments calling Henderson “off with the fairies” and “unfocused.” The disagreement led to the early termination of his $100 million contract with major radio network ARN, owner of KIIS FM, in March. Sandilands subsequently filed an unfair dismissal case against ARN, which settled out of court in June for a payout reported to exceed $12 million.
In addition to his professional upheaval, Sandilands also revealed a serious 2025 health diagnosis: a brain aneurysm located in a high-risk position behind his eye, which surgeons have deemed inoperable. The split from Henderson also sparked public drama, with Sandilands recently sharing that actor Russell Crowe personally urged him to reach out and reconcile with his former co-host amid the ongoing fallout.
Sandilands first served as an *Australian Idol* judge from the program’s 2005 launch through 2009, before returning to the judging panel in 2022 alongside international star Meghan Trainor and Australian recording artist Amy Shark. His exit comes just weeks after the show wrapped its 11th season on Channel Seven, with the finale airing in April.
Looking ahead, Sandilands is on track to launch his new independent venture, *Kyle Sandilands Live*, a subscriber-only show distributed via a dedicated mobile app, scheduled to go live mid-August. Access to the new show will cost subscribers $99, and Sandilands has already released a tell-all documentary series detailing his side of the split from ARN and Henderson. This exit from *Australian Idol* clears the way for Sandilands to focus full-time on his new independent project as he navigates ongoing personal and professional transitions.