Brendan Fevola breaks silence after Kyle and Jackie O confirm $200 million deal
Several Melbourne radio hosts have now spoken out against the Sydney-based duo.
Brendan ‘Fev’ Fevola has broken his silence following confirmation that Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson would be broadcasting their radio show in Melbourne in 2024 as part of their $200 million 10-year deal.
The controversial Sydney-based radio duo confirmed the major news on Wednesday, which has resulted in their Melbourne counterparts Lauren Phillips and Jason Hawkins being axed.
Brendan, who hosts FOX FM’s breakfast show Fifi, Fev & Nick alongside Fifi Box and Nick Cody, has since shared his thoughts on his new radio rivals.
“It doesn’t affect us, we’re fine,” he told the Herald Sun. “We’ve got the most listeners in Melbourne so I don’t feel that’s going to affect us at all.
“Great show, great product, we’ve been together for a long time now and we’ll just keep doing what we’re doing.”
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The former AFL player went on to say he feels sorry for departing KIIS hosts Lauren and Jason and doesn’t believe Kyle and Jackie O will succeed in Melbourne because they won't be broadcasting locally.
“For a Sydney show to come in and broadcast from Sydney, I don’t think that’s fair on their listeners,” he added.
“But hopefully they come across to us and we’ll have more listeners.”
Neil Mitchell speaks out against Kyle
Brendon’s comments come shortly after veteran Melbourne radio presenter Neil Mitchell said there’s no chance he will be tuning into The Kyle and Jackie O Show next year.
“[Kyle] knows his audience and he’s an effective broadcaster but I wouldn’t listen to him in a fit,” he said on 3AW on Thursday. “He’s not as successful as he claims he is, but he is successful, and you’ll certainly know he’s in town.”
He also predicted that the duo will struggle to compete against Ross Stevenson, who is Australia's highest-rating breakfast presenter.
Meanwhile, fellow radio presenter and The Project host Steve Price called Kyle a “grubby buffoon” during a discussion about the Australian Idol judge’s new deal on Wednesday night.
“Kyle’s a grubby buffoon, and I don’t think grubby buffoons work in Melbourne. I probably shouldn’t call him a grubby buffoon. He’s just a grub,” he said.
“Melbourne will not embrace the style of that program as it is right now. Some of the sexually explicit material is off-putting. Sarah [Harris] would know better than anyone else on that panel that it’s school drop-off time for kids.
“You don’t want people talking about anal sex at breakfast time, in my view. That’s what they do on that show.”
'Absolutely shocking'
Lauren Phillips and Jason Hawkins were devastated on Wednesday when they announced during their show that they wouldn’t be returning to the airwaves in 2024 because of Kyle and Jackie O.
The pair revealed that they had only been officially contacted about the news the night before, and became emotional as they thanked listeners for their support.
“It has been an absolute privilege to have this job, and I'm really grateful to our listeners for supporting us,” Lauren said through tears.
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Fans of the show have since taken to Instagram to share their heartbreak, with one fan writing: “Well, they have lost this listener in 2024.”
“The day [Melbourne] radio died,” another said.
“This is absolutely shocking and devastating!” a third said. “Canceling the best show and team ever! It was an absolute pleasure listening to you guys on my drive every morning!”
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