Kyle Sandilands has taken a surprisingly soft stance on Abbie Chatfield after the Bachelor star said she was “continually disappointed” in the radio shock jock.
Emerging radio superstar Chatfield, 27, hit out at Sandilands, 51, in an article published Monday, telling the Daily Telegraph she was “baffled” he manages to keep his high-paying gig.
The Masked Singer Australia judge questioned why radio bosses don’t reprimand Sandilands for his controversial comments on-air, but has since watered down her statement, saying her quotes were conversational rather than an “aggressive rant”.
“I have no idea (how Sandilands hasn’t been cancelled),” Chatfield had told the publication. “I don’t know why he’s not at least being reprimanded. I don’t know why advertisers still align.
“It’s as baffling to me as it is to everyone else. I don’t know how he can continue. What he said during the Paralympics was awful, and then saying one of the night hosts probably had Monkeypox.”
Chatfield, who hosts Hit Network’s Hot Nights With Abbie, was referencing Sandilands’ controversial Monkeypox comments in August, in which he described the virus as “the big gay disease floating around”.
She later took to Instagram to say she was “worried” about Sandilands’ response to her interview.
“To be honest, I‘m not looking forward to what he’s going to say on the radio show, or what he’s going to do,” she said.
However, Sandilands addressed Chatfield’s comments on Tuesday morning’s show, insisting there was no ill will and that he “respects” the up-and-coming personality.
“We’ve had her on this show. She’s a nice kid,” Sandilands said.
More recently, Sandilands came under fire for launching an explosive eight-minute rant on KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O Show, slamming his bosses and publicity team as “flops” and using the term “spazzes”, an offensive slur related to disability.
He also previously copped flack for his assessment of the Paralympics last year, branding the event “horrific” before saying the soccer players were throwing “themselves on the ground like sausages”.
“People go, ‘Well that’s just Kyle’. What he wants is people to call him out, so people are listening to hear what wild thing he’ll say next,” Chatfield added in the interview.
“It’s continually disappointing and continually disgusting, the things that he says on air.
“I’m sure people don’t agree with him wholeheartedly. I don’t think they’re vehemently ‘for’ being ableist. They’re more apathetic, which is also an issue.”
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After Sandilands’ rant earlier this month, in which he hit out at his own team after his show come in behind 2GB in the ratings, it was reported big brands were reconsidering their advertising agreements with KIIS FM.
In response, the new father said the claim was “manufactured”, insisting he never intends to offend anyone.
But he joked he wouldn’t be opposed to being cancelled and would just “stay at home counting money.”
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