He’s the relatively unknown first husband of Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, who married the radio star in 1994 when she was just 19.
And ‘Ugly’ Phil O’Neil was shunted into the limelight on Friday when Jackie gave a rare insight into her divorce from the British DJ, admitting how ‘anxious’ she had felt being single again.
While Jackie has gone on to achieve huge success as a KIIS FM DJ following their split, Daily Mail Australia uncovers exactly what Phil, now 55, has been up to since they parted ways.
Whatever happened to Jackie ‘O’ Henderson’s (L) first husband? The DJ career of Ugly Phil O’Neil (R), now 55, explained
Jackie made reference to their marriage during a booze-filled chat with Sophie Monk on the Kyle and Jackie O show.
The blonde bombshell, who is now married to British photographer Lee Henderson, confessed: ‘I remember when I split up from my first husband and I had a period of being single.
‘I just had that anxiousness of constantly wanting to find someone. I’ve never been happy on my own.’
She continued: ‘You’re all over the place. I feel like when I’m single I’m not as picky as what you [Sophie] are.’
Throwback: ‘Ugly’ Phil was shunted into the limelight on Friday when Jackie gave a rare insight into her divorce from the British DJ, admitting how ‘anxious’ she had felt being single again
Jackie, then 18, reportedly first met Phil in 1993 when calling his Gold Coast radio show to try to win tickets.
A year later, the pair were married and by 1996 she was his co-host on the Hot30 Countdown.
But three years later, Phil abruptly quit his job, their marriage ended and he moved to London for another radio job.
Phil was replaced by Kyle Sandilands, and they later achieved notoriety for the top-rated Kyle And Jackie O Show.
In the past: Jackie, then 18, reportedly first met Phil in 1993 when calling his Gold Coast radio show to try to win tickets. A year later, the pair were married and by 1996 she was his co-host on the Hot30 Countdown
Speaking on the You’ve Gotta Start Somewhere podcast last year, Phil revealed he left the country and his marriage due to the stress of work.
Phil revealed:’It became all-consuming. I was tired of doing the Hot30.
‘I was like, ”Hey, I’m 37 years old and I’m mates with the guys from Hanson who are 15. I’m too old for this”.’
‘I got offered a job in London to go and work there and I just needed to get away,’ added Phil.
He explained that his Australian role involved working ‘non-stop’ for ‘six to seven days a week’ for half a decade.
No more: But three years, later Phil abruptly quit his job, their marriage ended and he moved to London for another radio job
In the studio: After leaving Jackie, he did a stint in radio in London and Birmingham, before returning to Australia permanently in 2008. He now hosts a Triple M daytime show in Sydney and Melbourne from 1pm to 4pm on weekdays
Now, Phil admits he looks back on that busy period of time with fondness and wonders why he didn’t enjoy it more.
After leaving Jackie, he did a stint in radio in London and Birmingham, before returning to Australia permanently in 2008.
He now hosts a Triple M daytime show in Sydney and Melbourne from 1pm to 4pm on weekdays.
It is unclear if the DJ has married again since Jackie, with the fame-shy presenter making no reference to any significant other on his social media.
Celebrity interviewer: He often posts about his chats to A-list bands on his show (pictured with The Killers) but keeps tight-lipped on whether he’s found love again since Jackie
He does however, keenly promote his celebrity interviews – and has recently chatted to bands like The Killers, Muse and Guns’N’Roses, as well as actress Drew Barrymore.
Meanwhile, Jackie married one-time British backpacker and photojournalist Lee Henderson in 2003.
They met on March 18, 2000, when Jackie was 25 and spotted ‘gorgeous Lee’ at a Sydney bar.
‘So we’re about to leave, and it’s like everything around me went quiet and the whole room came to a standstill. I saw gorgeous Lee across the room,’ Jackie had written in a diary at the time.
Cute couple: Meanwhile, Jackie married one-time British backpacker and photojournalist Lee Henderson in 2003
‘He reminds me of a hot Hugh Grant’: They met on March 18, 2000, when Jackie was 25 and spotted ‘gorgeous Lee’ at a Sydney bar and exchanged numbers
‘He was the guy I met, what, about a month ago at the Good Bar? He was so hot. But really, really a slow mover.’
Jackie wrote that then-24-year-old Lee again took his time, coming over ‘about an hour later’ and buying her and her friend a drink.
She had thought Lee, who was backpacking at the time, seemed like a ‘prim and proper’ Englishman who ‘reminds me of a hot Hugh Grant’.
They exchanged numbers and he rang soon after.
‘I was surprised to hear from him actually. I really didn’t think he’d call at all. But if I’m being totally honest, I didn’t feel that comfortable with him,’ Jackie recalled.
The pair clearly hit it off after that fateful meeting, and have been married for more than a decade. They welcomed their daughter Kitty in 2010.
Sweet: The pair clearly hit it off after that fateful meeting, and have been married for more than a decade. They welcomed their daughter Kitty in 2010