Gemma’s cryptic response
Jackie ‘O’ Henderson has spoken candidly about her recovery since publicly revealing her past dependence on alcohol and prescription medication.
That openness prompted questions after speculation emerged that the popular radio host may have started drinking again, leading us to contact her manager, Gemma O’Neill.
However, O’Neill did not offer the clear denial anticipated, instead giving an unexpectedly vague response when asked about the claims.
Henderson detailed the depth of her addiction during an emotional live moment on The Kyle and Jackie O Show in 2024.
While reading the prologue to her memoir, The Whole Truth, she told audiences she had been sober for one year following a three-year struggle involving alcohol, the prescription pain medication Panadeine Forte and the sleeping tablet Stilnox.
Attention turned to Henderson last month when she was photographed appearing to hold a glass of wine during an evening out with close friend Pip Edwards.
The friends had gone to see indie-pop group Pamela perform at Sydney’s Lansdowne Hotel, and Edwards later posted photographs from the outing on Instagram.
After rumours surfaced that Jackie O could be drinking again, we approached her manager, Gemma O’Neill, for comment. The pair are pictured together.
Jackie was photographed last month with what appeared to be a glass of wine. It may, of course, have been a non-alcoholic drink, which is why clarification was sought.
The drink may have been alcohol-free, however, which is why O’Neill was asked to clarify the situation.
‘As per usual, given the legal proceedings and trial about to commence, Jackie is unable to comment on any stories as per her legal team’s request and I hope you can understand,’ she wrote.
The reply was unexpected from O’Neill, who usually snubs our requests for comment altogether.
It also raised another question: what does Henderson’s sobriety have to do with the Federal Court lawsuit against her former employer, ARN Media?
Henderson’s $82million legal battle stems from the spectacular collapse of The Kyle and Jackie O Show on KIIS FM following an explosive on-air clash between Henderson and her former co-host Kyle Sandilands.
During a February broadcast, Sandilands heavily criticised Henderson, reducing her to tears on air. She later informed network executives she could no longer work with him.
The following month, ARN Media terminated both stars’ record-breaking, 10-year, $100million contracts.
Henderson alleges she was wrongfully terminated and that ARN breached the Fair Work Act, claiming she was fired after exercising a workplace right by complaining about what she said was an unsafe and abusive working environment.
Jackie O wrote in her memoir The Whole Truth about her three-year addiction battle with alcohol, prescription painkiller Panadeine Forte and sleeping pill Stilnox
More recent court documents reveal Henderson is also claiming she suffered Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and psychological distress as a result of Sandilands’s allegedly unpredictable, erratic behaviour and ‘repeated bullying’ over time.
Back in August, Inside Mail reported on rumours of a rift between Henderson and her longtime best friend and manager.
O’Neill denied the rumours, telling us: ‘These stories are inaccurate and ridiculous.’
Karl’s panic
When Karl Stefanovic lost his television and radio jobs within a matter of days, there was mounting speculation it had all been part of a plan to propel his new business venture with Keshnee Kemp into the headlines.
And on the surface, it made sense.
YouTube subscriber numbers jumped as the backlash from his controversial interview with British far-right activist and convicted criminal Tommy Robinson dominated the news.
Insiders say the loss of Stefanovic’s lucrative media jobs threw their business plans into chaos and put the pair’s working relationship under serious strain. (Karl Stefanovic pictured with wife Jasmine)
On Monday, Karl Stefanovic’s podcast business partner Keshnee Kemp launched urgent Supreme Court action to stop the former TV star from forcing her out of the venture they built together
‘Kesh was blaming Karl for blowing it all up before they were making money and Karl was blaming her for not having the ideas about how to pivot,’ a source told Inside Mail. (Karl and Keshnee are pictured)
But Inside Mail can reveal there was no clever strategy behind it.
In fact, insiders say the loss of Stefanovic’s lucrative media jobs threw their business plans into chaos and put the pair’s working relationship under serious strain.
‘It was in no way a clever marketing move,’ one insider said.
‘Karl and Kesh weren’t prepared for the podcast to become his only form of income so soon.
‘It was always supposed to be a slow burner and they’d only just realised you don’t actually make much money from podcasts alone in Australia.
‘You really have to hit that international market if you want to start making a profit.
‘All of a sudden Karl had gone from being paid millions in salary to relying on a new business that wasn’t profitable.’
The source claims it wasn’t long before the pair started blaming each other.
‘Kesh was blaming Karl for blowing it all up before they were making money and Karl was blaming her for not having the ideas about how to pivot,’ the insider said.
‘That was definitely the moment he turned on Kesh. It was chaos, Karl was panicking and it got pretty ugly.’
The source claims Stefanovic now wants a very different set-up, outsourcing the marketing and monetisation rather than sharing such a large slice of the business.
‘He is the face of the business. It’s even named after him so yeah he doesn’t want to share it anymore. Not now it’s all he has.’
On Monday, Karl Stefanovic’s podcast business partner Keshnee Kemp launched urgent Supreme Court action to stop the former TV star from forcing her out of the venture they built together.
At a hearing on Tuesday, it was revealed the pair’s working relationship had ‘irretrievably broken down’ after the former TV star parted ways with the Nine Network over his interview with Robinson.
Silvagnis break cover
Stephen and Jo Silvagni appeared determined to put on a united front when they emerged for a rare public outing earlier this month, quietly cheering on a family member at a junior football grand final amid what has been a bruising year for one of AFL’s most famous families.
The couple were spotted at Brunswick Street Oval in Fitzroy North watching Stephen’s nephew in the VAFA Under 18 Grand Final. Witnesses said the pair appeared relaxed and in good spirits as they watched from the sidelines, with Jo particularly upbeat during the afternoon.
It has been a difficult 12 months on multiple fronts for the once-glamorous power couple. They are pictured at the 2014 Brownlow)
Jo, the former model and Sale of the Century co-host who was once known as Jo Bailey, quietly lost her long-standing role as a face of Chemist Warehouse, while Stephen has endured a frustrating season in his role as St Kilda’s list manager. (They are pictured at their son Tom Silvagni’s rape trial)
Tom Silvagni (pictured) remains in Melbourne Assessment Prison as he awaits a hearing date for his appeal, with no indication yet of when the matter will return before the courts
Their appearance did not go unnoticed, given the pair have kept an exceptionally low profile in recent months. Rumours about the state of their marriage have periodically circulated, fuelled largely by the fact public sightings of the couple together have become increasingly rare in the wake of the legal drama surrounding their youngest son, Tom.
On this occasion, however, they appeared every bit the close-knit couple as they watched the action unfold. The pair left at three-quarter time and there was no suggestion of any drama.
Some onlookers joked that the early departure may simply have had something to do with the one-sided nature of the contest, with their nephew’s side ‘getting thrashed.’
It has been a difficult 12 months on multiple fronts for the once-glamorous power couple. Jo, the former model and Sale of the Century co-host who was once known as Jo Bailey, quietly lost her long-standing role as a face of Chemist Warehouse, while Stephen has endured a frustrating season in his role as St Kilda’s list manager.
Despite an aggressive recruiting drive and significant investment in the playing list, the Saints fell short of expectations and failed to secure a wildcard berth, leaving many supporters questioning where the club goes next.
Away from football, the family’s attention remains firmly fixed on Tom Silvagni, who was convicted of rape in December and has spent the entirety of the 2026 AFL season behind bars while awaiting the outcome of his appeal.
The timing has been particularly poignant given older brother Jack’s return to Moorabbin following his move from Carlton at the end of 2025, where he played an important defensive role throughout the season.
Meanwhile, Tom remains in Melbourne Assessment Prison as he awaits a hearing date for his appeal, with no indication yet of when the matter will return before the courts.
Against that backdrop, Stephen and Jo’s appearance at a suburban junior footy match may have seemed unremarkable to most. But for those who have watched the family’s turbulent year unfold, it was a rare glimpse of a couple continuing to face it together.
Gaudron’s unlikely tribute
The death of distinguished jurist Mary Gaudron, the first woman to be appointed to the High Court of Australia, has been marked by public tributes from prominent figures in politics and the law.
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland described Gaudron, who died at the weekend aged 83, as ‘a trailblazer of remarkable intellect who helped reshape the legal profession in Australia’.
The High Court’s judges said in a statement: ‘Throughout her distinguished career, Ms Gaudron advanced the role of women in the legal profession and in the judiciary by her advocacy as well as her example.’
What Inside Mail was not expecting was a phone call from Sydney identity Tom Domican early on Monday, with his own glowing praise for Gaudron.
The death of distinguished jurist Mary Gaudron (pictured), the first woman to be appointed to the High Court of Australia, has been marked by public tributes from prominent figures in politics and the law
What Inside Mail was not expecting was a phone call from Sydney identity Tom Domican early on Monday, with his own glowing praise for Gaudron
‘I love that woman,’ the former garbage collector and onetime inner-city Labor Party numbers man told us. ‘She’s beautiful.’
Domican is best known in legal circles for having been charged in the 1980s with one murder, one attempted murder and five conspiracies to murder – and eventually being cleared of all of them.
Most of those prosecutions relied on the word of wildly discredited prison informers seeking benefit for themselves.
Domican has long objected to his portrayal in the 1995 ABC TV miniseries Blue Murder, which dramatised the criminal exploits of gangster Neddy Smith and crooked cop Roger Rogerson.
The January 1985 attempted murder of hitman Chris ‘Rent-a-Kill’ Flannery outside his home at Arncliffe in Sydney’s south featured in Blue Murder and was among the gangland crimes Domican was accused of committing.
A disguised gunman had parked on the street and fired about 30 shots from an Armalite rifle at Flannery – hitting him once in the hand – while he stood in his driveway with his wife Kath and their daughter.
Nine months after the shooting, Kath Flannery identified Domican as the man who had tried to kill her husband.
Domican was found guilty of Flannery’s attempted murder in September 1988 and sentenced to 14 years’ jail, lost a challenge to that verdict in the Court of Criminal Appeal, then took his case to the High Court.
The case he put to the highest court in the land was heard by Justices Mason, Deane, Dawson, Toohey, McHugh, Brennan and Gaudron.
In May 1992, the High Court quashed Domican’s conviction in a 6-1 decision (with Brennan dissenting), finding the original trial judge had misdirected the jury.
The judges, including Gaudron, ruled there were a ‘number of significant weaknesses’ in Kath Flannery’s identification of the gunman.
Kath Flannery had been some distance away, hiding behind a car, and caught only a ‘fleeting’ glimpse of the shooter. She had also identified Domican from altered photographs which showed him wearing a wig and false moustache.
Those circumstances raised ‘serious doubts’ about the reliability of her identification of Domican, the court found.
The now 83-year-old Domican told Inside Mail he had been disappointed not to see any reference to Domican v The Queen in obituaries he had read about Gaudron.
‘I wish they had put that in because as of today it is still the foremost authority on identification evidence,’ Domican said. ‘It’s very important that you let the people know.
‘And can you please put in my sincere condolences to her family. She was a bit of a left-winger but she was a really brilliant person.
‘It’s a sad day. I’ll say a Hail Mary for her.’
Chris Flannery moved into The Connaught building in the city not long after the attack at his home. He was last seen leaving there on May 9, 1985.
In June 1997, State Coroner Greg Glass found the man Domican called ‘Rent-a-Dill’ had been killed, and Rogerson was likely the key to solving his murder. Rogerson died in January 2024.
ARN’s safe bet
Opinion by Rob McKnight
We still don’t have official confirmation on whether Dr Chris Brown will replace Kyle and Jackie O on KIIS in Sydney, but it’s looking increasingly likely.
Ever since Kyle Sandilands broke the news on his streaming show, ARN (the owner of KIIS) has played a careful game of cat and mouse with the media.
When asked if Brown had signed, they said: ‘We haven’t signed him.’
When questioned about ongoing talks, the response was less definitive: ‘We’re not commenting on any of the speculation. We’ll let you know when we have something to share.’
We still don’t have official confirmation on whether Dr Chris Brown will replace Kyle and Jackie O on KIIS in Sydney, but it’s looking increasingly likely, says Rob McKnight. (Pictured: Dr Chris Brown at the Logies)
‘Dr Chris Brown is an accomplished TV presenter, but radio requires a larger-than-life presence to drive a show – something TV stars often find challenging when moving to radio,’ writes Rob McKnight. (Kyle and Jackie O are pictured)
There was a time when PR teams were careful about misleading the press, knowing trust was at stake. Now, however, transparency with journalists often seems less of a priority.
For journalists dealing with media companies, seeking a right of reply can feel frustrating and unproductive – requests are frequently ignored or met with vague answers.
Meanwhile, ARN’s focus on ‘brand safety’ may well lead them to Dr Chris Brown, but risks disengaging audiences in the process.
In prioritising caution, the network may also be opting for safer, less distinctive personalities.
Dr Brown is an accomplished TV presenter, but radio requires a larger-than-life presence to drive a show – something TV stars often find challenging when moving to radio.
Television is about reading scripts, while radio thrives on openness and connecting personally with listeners.
With former TV executives now leading radio networks and choosing TV talent, the shift is notable. Time will tell if this approach can deliver the connection radio audiences expect.
Media locked out
Opinion by Rob McKnight
With the continued rise of One Nation, the media pack is grappling with the reality that the old rules no longer apply to Pauline Hanson or her party.
Controversies that would end the careers of other politicians only seem to fuel support for the ‘orange wave’.
Just last week, Victorian party leader Warren Pickering held a press conference admitting to illegal drug use and drink driving. The revelations appear to have done nothing to dent the party’s popularity.
But it’s One Nation’s Trump-like attitude towards the media that is becoming a troubling development for Australian democracy. During that press conference, reporters from the ABC and The Guardian were asked to leave and escorted out by Crown Melbourne hotel staff.
It’s not the first time members of the press have been removed from a One Nation event. But how does that square with Pauline Hanson’s calls for greater transparency from other politicians?
‘I don’t answer to the media. I answer to the Australian people,’ One Nation leader Pauline Hanson told Rob McKnight on McKnight Tonight. (Hanson is pictured)
‘I don’t answer to the media. I answer to the Australian people,’ Hanson told me recently on McKnight Tonight.
That may be true, but the media remains a vital link between politicians and the public, asking the questions that voters expect to be answered.
Within One Nation, there’s no doubt they feel targeted by certain outlets. ‘You have to understand what I’ve been through with the media – the lies, the spins, the misrepresentation,’ Hanson explained.
‘Yes, the media has a place in all this to get the truth out to the people, but make sure it’s the truth, not your bias. And a lot of these people do not like the rise of One Nation and they’re terrified of it. I’m sick and tired of the lies and spin.’
With polls placing One Nation near the top, the scrutiny is only going to intensify. That is as it should be. Banning journalists is a dangerous precedent – one that has no place in a healthy democracy.
Pauline Hanson can hold her own with the toughest critics; she doesn’t need to avoid outlets that are critical of her. She’s better than that – and Australian voters need her to stand up, show leadership, and face the media, not hide from it.
The Greens divide
Greens Leader Larissa Waters has denied there are tensions within the Greens, after three Greens senators broke ranks to vote against a deal their party leadership had struck with Labor.
Waters was on Monday projecting confidence, insisting she remained firmly in control despite one of the most public internal splits seen in the party in recent years.
The showdown erupted last Thursday when Nick McKim, Vanessa Bleyer and Jordon Steele-John crossed the floor to support a Coalition disallowance motion aimed at blocking a plan to use a future NSW Koala National Park as part of Australia’s carbon offset framework.
Greens Leader Larissa Waters (pictured) has denied there are tensions within the Greens, after three Greens senators broke ranks to vote against a deal their party leadership had struck with Labor
The rebellion came despite the Greens leadership negotiating changes to the scheme with Labor, prompting Energy Minister Chris Bowen to publicly thank Waters for her role in securing the agreement.
While the legislation ultimately survived, passing 34 votes to 27, the spectacle of Greens senators voting against a position endorsed by their own leadership immediately set Canberra tongues wagging.
The split exposed a fault line inside the party between pragmatists willing to bank incremental gains and environmental purists deeply sceptical of carbon offset schemes.
Asked directly on Monday whether the split had damaged her standing inside the party, Waters dismissed any suggestion she was facing internal leadership issues.
‘I’m really pleased that we were able to secure some important improvements,’ she said.
‘We will work every single day to end native forest logging and to stop coal and gas projects from using dodgy ACCUs as a get-out-of-jail-free card. So I feel very pleased and confident about the fight that’s coming.’
Waters also received an immediate show of support from fellow Greens senator David Shoebridge, who stepped in to defend her leadership credentials.
‘On the question of leadership, when tough decisions needed to be made, Larissa made them last week,’ Shoebridge said.
Jonathan Sriranganathan (left) said the party lacked a ‘democratic mandate’ for the way its MPs voted, arguing the decision was out of step with the wishes of grassroots members
‘She showed leadership. It’s something that a less effective leader could easily have walked away from, but she didn’t.’
Shoebridge’s defence follows criticism from former Brisbane Greens councillor and ex-lord mayoral candidate Jonathan Sriranganathan, a prominent voice within the party’s Queensland base.
Sriranganathan argued Waters and her Queensland colleagues failed to adequately consult rank-and-file members before backing the deal, questioning what ‘democratic mandate’ existed for the position eventually adopted by the party.
‘Our federal Greens representatives in Queensland, including the party’s leader Larissa Waters, didn’t undertake any meaningful direct consultation with Queensland Greens members or supporters before deciding what position they’d take on Labor’s plan,’ he wrote.
‘Where is the democratic mandate for the position they’ve taken?’
Greens sources have also heard that a push against Waters is being driven by those aligned with the more ‘left’ or ‘watermelon’ faction of the Greens, including former Griffith MP and firebrand Max Chandler-Mather.
Fairways and flumes
While Parliament is busy descending into chaos over the Albanese government’s $6million grant to Marrickville Golf Course, located not far from one of the Prime Minister’s investment properties, the ghosts of election promises past have come rattling their chains from the Coalition’s own 2025 campaign.
As Coalition MPs criss-crossed the country promising to tackle cost-of-living pressures, strengthen defence and get the economy back on track, they were also quietly compiling one of the more eccentric election shopping lists in recent memory.
A trawl through local campaign commitments reveals a treasure trove of hyper-local pledges that would have made even the most creative grants consultant blush.
Among the standouts was a $1.3million commitment from Kevin Hogan to upgrade the Casino pool, complete with a 12-metre ‘flume thrill ride’.
Because while inflation may have been rising, there was apparently still an urgent national conversation to be had about regional waterslides.
Tennis players were among the campaign’s biggest winners.
The Coalition pledged more than $11million to at least 25 tennis-related projects, including $4.1 million for Melbourne’s East Malvern Tennis Club and $180,000 for the ‘historic’ St Patrick’s Tennis Club in former opposition leader Sussan Ley’s electorate of Farrer.
Even the fencing at Emerald Tennis Club scored a $120,000 election commitment.
The Coalition pledged money to golf clubs, a flume thrill slide, tennis and pony clubs in 2025
Then there was the golf. Lots of golf.
At least 17 golf club commitments worth more than $11.3million were announced, including $4.95million for Gerringong Golf Club, $3million for a golf complex in Sturt and $1million for a youth recreation zone attached to Sydney’s Moore Park Golf Course.
Long before Canberra was arguing about Marrickville, politicians of all stripes appeared convinced that few things were more electorally valuable than well-funded fairways.
Horse enthusiasts were not forgotten either.
The Coalition committed at least $1.7million across six pony club projects, including $1 million for the Runcorn Horse & Pony Club and $667,100 for the Emerald Horse & Pony Club.
Of course, there is one important caveat: none of these commitments were ever delivered because the Coalition lost the election before it had the chance to turn the promises into government spending.
Still, the timing is awkward.
As Labor finds itself bogged down in a fresh conflict-of-interest row over the Marrickville grant, critics are gleefully dusting off the Coalition’s own collection of election-campaign curiosities.
The irony is particularly rich given Anthony Albanese built much of his opposition attack strategy around the Coalition’s infamous sports rorts saga and the conduct of former minister Bridget McKenzie.
Madeleine King’s AFL ticket fury
The anti-gas brigade was left fuming after fresh disclosures revealed Resources Minister Madeleine King accepted hospitality from none other than Woodside Energy, Australia’s largest oil and gas producer.
According to her parliamentary register of interests, updated on Tuesday, King accepted four tickets from Woodside to attend the Fremantle versus GWS AFL clash on July 14.
Ordinarily, a handful of footy tickets might barely rate a mention in Canberra.
The criticism comes as King is spearheading one of Labor’s most ambitious interventions in the gas market.
Last week, the Government unveiled draft legislation for Australia’s first national gas reservation scheme, which would force exporters to direct up to 20 per cent of their gas production into the domestic market.
Labor says the reform could deliver an additional 200 petajoules of gas annually to Australian consumers, helping avoid forecast shortages and putting downward pressure on household and business energy prices.
The scheme is due to begin from 2028 following an industry consultation period.
King meanwhile has repeatedly found herself at the centre of heated disputes over Woodside’s multi-billion dollar gas projects, including the controversial Burrup Hub and Browse developments.
Environmental activists have accused her of attempting to streamline approvals and consultation processes in ways they argue benefit major gas producers, while Indigenous campaigners have criticised proposed changes to consultation rules surrounding offshore projects.
Madeleine King (left) accepted tickets to an AFL match sponsored by Woodside Energy
The disclosure is already drawing fire from some of the Albanese Government’s most vocal critics on gas policy.
Independent Senator David Pocock, who has frequently accused Labor of being too close to the gas industry, said the revelation raised serious questions about public confidence in government decision-making.
‘It appears Minister King has been accepting gifts from Woodside at the same time as she decides policies that govern the company,’ he told Inside Mail.
‘The Minister is currently co-designing the gas reservation policy, running the Future Gas Strategy, and deciding which new areas get opened up for gas exploration. Woodside has a commercial stake in every one of those decisions.’
‘Australians want to be sure that government decisions were made on the merits, and this disclosure casts doubt on that.’
Pocock also pointed to the well-worn path between politics and the resources sector, arguing the gift was linked to broader concerns about the relationship between ministers and the industries they oversee.
‘Resources ministers usually leave office and walk into the industry they spent years regulating,’ he said.
‘The disclosure shows that the relationship doesn’t start when they leave, it starts while they’re still in the job, still signing off on policy.’
Pocock (pictured) said that the gift was questionable due to King’s role in gas policy design
Greens senator Steph Hodgins-May was equally scathing, accusing Labor of undermining its claim to be acting in the public interest on gas policy.
‘We can’t trust Labor to write a gas reservation policy in the public interest when its ministers are taking freebies from the gas companies they’re claiming to regulate,’ she said.
‘Minister King can’t write the rules for Woodside with one hand while taking freebies from them with the other.’
‘People deserve to know whose interests are shaping Labor’s gas policy: theirs, or the gas companies giving them free tickets to the footy.’
Inside Mail contacted Madeline King for comment.
Lidia locked out
If there’s one thing Canberra loves nearly as much as a taxpayer-funded morning tea, it’s a Parliamentary Friends group.
From the Parliamentary Friends of Seafood to the Parliamentary Friends of Tennis, MPs and senators are forever gathering under the banner of causes, industries and hobbies close to their hearts.
If there’s a constituency for it, chances are there’s a Parliamentary Friends group for it.
But one would-be club is struggling to get off the ground.
Lidia Thorpe (pictured) has been unable to form a ‘Parliamentary Friends Of’ group
Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe has been attempting to launch a new Parliamentary Friends of Justice group, only to run headlong into Labor’s rule book.
Under rules since Labor’s election in 2022, a group cannot be formally established unless a Labor MP or senator signs on as a co-chair.
Thorpe told the Daily Mail she’d repeatedly approached Labor MPs and senators about backing the proposal, only to be met with a polite brush-off.
Thorpe had hoped to start the group with then-Labor Senator Fatima Payman, a plan which was derailed after Payman sensationally quit the ALP last term.
