Jackie O shocks as she announces 'time off' from radio show: 'Miss you'

Jackie 'O' Henderson surprised fans of the Kyle and Jackie O Show on Monday morning when she announced she would be stepping back from the radio show for health reasons.

The 47-year-old revealed she would be taking a break for a few weeks so she can fully recover after suffering from poor health since contracting Covid-19 a few months ago. The host has been coughing and sounding unwell in recent weeks, with the doctor telling her she needed to take some time to rest and get better.

While she didn't specify when she'd return, Jackie told listeners she'd be gone for "a couple of weeks", however, the ratings year isn't too far away from wrapping up, so she may consider not returning until next year.

The radio host has been broadcasting from home for the last few weeks as she was struggling with the early starts and would go straight to bed after finishing the show.

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"Ever since picking up that virus, I've been to the doctor several times and he said because I've been pushing myself every day, after the show, all I've been doing is sleeping, and I'm not getting better," she shared with listeners.

"I feel it's got worse. I can hear it," Kyle Sandilands responded, adding that Jackie couldn't even laugh without coughing.

"I just have to take some time off," she said. "I'm ending the show today. As in now."

Jackie continued, adding that the show means a lot to her, "You know how much I push through everything, and I would not be doing this unless I absolutely had to."

Kyle questioned whether Jackie was sicker than she was letting on, but she added that she just needs "proper, serious rest".

"He basically said, 'If you keep doing this, this is going to get much worse,' and I've taken his advice," she said, adding that she normally ignores doctors' advice and pushes on, but really needs the rest so she can be at the top of her game.

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Soon after, Jackie began coughing as she started laughing, with newsreader Brooklyn Ross taking a jab at other radio shows, telling her, "Why don't go swap with one of the other radio shows so you at least don't have to laugh?"

Jackie signed off, saying, "I'll miss you guys. I love you. I will get well, thanks."

"Listen, we love you. Come home as soon as you feel rested. And I'll be just, sort of, controlling this plane as it falls out of the sky," Kyle responded, jokingly adding, "I feel like I've been broken up with."

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