Seven makes major change to Australian Idol amid Kyle Sandilands backlash

Kyle Sandilands’ recent headlines have left Channel Seven feeling worried about the upcoming season of Australian Idol and how ratings might be impacted, according to a network insider. The shock jock has been savaged in the media over the past few months after failing to engage Melbourne listeners with The Kyle and Jackie O Show, which began airing in Victoria’s capital in April.

The show dropped to a 5 per cent market share in last week’s survey ratings while their KIIS FM predecessors Jase and Lauren, who joined Nova after being axed, became the city’s number one FM radio show with an 11.5 per cent share. A production insider tells Yahoo Lifestyle that Channel Seven executives are “concerned” the backlash towards Kyle could affect the reality show, and editors have been ordered to give the pre-filmed season a “PG brush over”.

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“What has been requested is for Kyle to be toned down in the edit,” our behind-the-scenes source shares. “To be honest, Seven has already been doing it for the past two seasons as they need to keep things family-friendly.

“Kyle is Kyle and Seven knows better than anyone that telling him not to be Kyle is not the way to get the best out of him. He will just ark up and go in the opposite direction. However, there is a plan to make sure he doesn’t gazump the show with his outrageous comments.”

The insider went on to say that Marcia Hines, who rejoined the judging panel last season after serving as an original judge from 2003 to 2009, had a major impact on Kyle’s behaviour during filming.

“Marcia has been fabulous to sit alongside Kyle. There are few people who could tell Kyle to pipe down and Marcia seems to be one of them. In some ways I think Kyle looks to watch Marcia’s responses,” they detail.

“It has been a good dynamic on the judging panel this season, which Seven has been super grateful for.”

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Kyle's plan for 2025

Meanwhile, a source close to Kyle tells Yahoo Lifestyle that he plans on “toning things down” on his radio show next year in an effort to grow their Melbourne audience.

“The plan all along has been ‘in order to make people love you, you have to make them hate you first’. Whether that plan will pay off for KIIS at this stage is anyone's guess,” they share.

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