Phil O’Neil has expressed his frustration about being known as the ‘ex-husband’ of radio superstar Jackie ‘O’ Henderson.
The WSFM presenter, 49, better known as ‘Ugly Phil’, was one of Australia’s top broadcasters when he secretly married up-and-coming announcer Henderson two decades ago. Their marriage only lasted a few years.
Yet these days Henderson’s fame has far eclipsed his, thanks to the success of her 20-year partnership with Kyle Sandilands.
WSFM presenter ‘Ugly Phil’ O’Neil (pictured) has expressed his frustration about being known as the ‘ex-husband’ of radio superstar Jackie ‘O’ Henderson
‘That’s my claim to fame, my pub quiz answer: “Who’s the ex-husband of Jackie O?”‘ O’Neil told The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show.
‘I was at a pub in Glebe, and that question was asked, phrased “What ex-famous person used to be married to Jackie O?” The worst thing was, nobody knew the answer!’
O’Neil also lifted the lid on his ‘rocky’ split from Henderson in 1999, and how difficult it was to continue hosting their radio show together after their break-up.
O’Neil (pictured in the ’90s with ex-wife Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, left) was one of Australia’s top broadcasters when he secretly married the up-and-coming radio announcer two decades ago
‘That’s my claim to fame, my pub quiz answer: “Who’s the ex-husband of Jackie O?”‘ O’Neil told The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show. He now works for WSFM – in the same building as his ex-wife
‘It was difficult – whenever two people part who were married, there’s a rocky period,’ he told podcast host Jessica Rowe.
‘To continue doing a radio show in the middle of that, especially when people didn’t know we were married, was difficult – but we worked our way through it,’ he said.
Henderson was just 18 when she met O’Neil in 1993 after calling into his Gold Coast radio show to try to win concert tickets.
O’Neil also lifted the lid on his ‘rocky’ split from Henderson in 1999, and how difficult it was to continue hosting their radio show together after their break-up
An 18-year-old Henderson (left) first met O’Neil (right) after calling into his Gold Coast radio show to try to win concert tickets in 1993
The pair married a year later, and by 1996 Henderson was his co-host on the Hot30 Countdown – one of the hottest radio programs in the country.
But three years later, Phil abruptly quit his job and ended their marriage before moving to London for another job.
O’Neil was replaced by Kyle Sandilands, and they later achieved notoriety for the top-rated Kyle and Jackie O Show.
O’Neil was replaced by Kyle Sandilands (left) after he quit in 1999, and the pair later achieved notoriety for the top-rated Kyle And Jackie O Show. (Pictured in 2001)
Now back in Australia, O’Neil and Henderson have found themselves working for the same company, Australian Radio Network.
The British-born DJ l said he and Henderson often pass each other in the halls of their office building, and regularly catch up.
‘She’s been very, very successful at what she does,’ he said of Henderson, who is one of the highest-paid radio presenters in Australia.
In February 2022, 20 years after he and Henderson got divorced, O’Neil married iHeartRadio producer Samantha Clarke (left). (Pictured: O’Neil and Clarke on their wedding day)
‘She has a great show and she’s worked very hard to get where she is. But our on-air period was a long time ago,’ he added.
It comes after O’Neil announced he had married iHeartRadio producer Samantha Clarke.
He announced the news on Instagram with a photo of the newlyweds holding their certificate of marriage and captioned it: ‘Officially Mrs Ugly.’
On her Instagram page, the bride shared this image of the pair in an elevator and captioned the post, ‘We did the thing. We took the cat’
On her Instagram page, the bride shared an image of the pair in an elevator and captioned the post, ‘We did the thing. We took the cat.’
Meanwhile Henderson is currently single following her divorce from photographer Lee Henderson in 2018.
The former couple married in 2003 and share daughter Kitty, 10.
Meanwhile Henderson is currently single following her divorce from photographer Lee Henderson in 2018. The former couple married in 2003 and share daughter Kitty, 10 (all pictured)
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