Mark Holden has issued a sobering warning to his former co-star Kyle Sandilands as the shock jock’s legal battle with ARN rages on.

Holden, 71, was a foundational judge on Australian Idol and shared the panel with Sandilands for three seasons from 2005 to 2007.

Speaking to Daily Mail, Holden said he was concerned that the pressure the court battle was placing on Sandilands, 54, was not good for his health.

Following his axing from Idol in 2008, Holden transitioned into law, working as a barrister from 2010 to 2023 and knows only too well the toll such high-profile cases can take.

‘He’s unfortunately boxed himself into a corner,’ Holden said.

‘Having spent the last 13 years in and out of courts, the very, very last place I ever want to be again is in a court.’

+8
View gallery

Mark Holden has issued a sobering warning to his former co-star Kyle Sandilands as the shock jock’s legal battle with ARN rages on

+8
View gallery

Holden, 71, was a foundational judge on Australian Idol and shared the panel with Sandilands for three seasons from 2005 to 2007. (Pictured: host Osher Gunsberg, Kyle Sandilands and Mark Holden)

While Holden was quick to admit that he could see why Sandilands was challenging his termination, he pleaded for him to pay attention to his health.

‘There’s no denying that radio is Kyle’s life – he lives for it,’ Holden said.

‘But my advice to him would be: “Get your health correct, because you don’t look healthy.”‘

Holden also pleaded for Sandilands to consider the toll the drama was taking on his wife, Tegan Kynaston, 40 and their three-year-old son, Otto.

‘And the pressure that you must be under, and your heart and all of that – you don’t need to make any more money, mate. Look after your health,’ he said.

‘You’ve got a son and a wife. Look after your health. His money is making him money.’

Sandilands’ health has come to the fore over the last 12 months, with the shock jock revealing, in February last year, that he required immediate surgery after doctors detected an aneurysm on his brain and a second one in his chest.

While Sandilands is certainly no stranger to starting ‘beefs’ with co-stars and rivals, Holden said that he never saw any such behaviour on the Australian Idol set.

‘I have a great deal of affection for Kyle, I really do. I know that he is the most hardworking person,’ he said.

+8
View gallery

Speaking to Daily Mail, Holden said he was concerned that the pressure the court battle was placing on Sandilands, 54, was not good for his health

+8
View gallery

‘There’s no denying that radio is Kyle’s life, he lives for it,’ Holden said. ‘But my advice to him would be: “Get your health correct, because you don’t look healthy.”‘

‘So I just can’t imagine the pain that both he and Jackie are going through at the moment having to go through a court case.’

Holden’s comments come as it was revealed that Sandilands and Henderson will never present breakfast radio on KIIS again, as the radio giant revealed relationships have ‘completely broken down’ and prospects are ‘hopeless’.

The revelations were made in the Federal Court in Sydney on Friday amid civil cases brought by both stars against former employer ARN, owner of KIIS 106.5, over the termination of their combined $200million contracts.

The Kyle and Jackie O Show came to an end on February 20 following an on-air fight when Sandilands slammed Henderson for her ‘fixation’ on astrology, and then mocked her for crying.

Sandilands is claiming he shouldn’t have been sacked, while Henderson is claiming ARN failed to protect her from Sandilands’ alleged bullying and breached the Fair Work Act.

Confronted with a media pack outside court, Sandilands hopped out of a black Rolls-Royce and made it clear the radio stars are currently not communicating, saying: ‘I haven’t spoken to Jackie.’

Sandilands also made a series of veiled comments about his ARN bosses and former co-host Henderson, talking about ‘truth’ and ‘media dynamics’, and demanded that ARN ‘put me back on radio’.

However, a lawyer representing ARN told the court ‘trust and confidence has utterly broken down between the parties… it’s a hopeless situation’.

+8
View gallery

Continuing, Holden also pleaded for Sandilands to consider the toll the drama was taking on his wife Tegan Kynaston and their three-year-old son, Otto

+8
View gallery

‘And the pressure that you must be under, and your heart and all of that – you don’t need to make any more money, mate. Look after your health,’ he said. ‘You’ve got a son and a wife. Look after your health. His money is making him money’

‘The idea that they might get a [court] order for the parties to get together and cooperate for the next nine years is hopeless,’ he said.

Henderson and Sandilands had nine years left on their contracts by the time they were terminated.

Sandilands’ lawyer Scott Robertson SC told the court there was no dispute over what his client said to Henderson because the KIIS 106.5 studio was like reality show Big Brother – everything was recorded, whether or not it went to air.

Mr Robertson also referred to ARN’s defence as ‘the kitchen sink defence’.

Referring to Sandilands’ conduct during broadcasts, Mr Robertson said: ‘If you buy Kyle, you get Kyle.’

‘The conduct Mr Sandilands engaged in was contractually desired – that was a word used in the contract – and it was monetised,’ he said.

He opposed the idea that Sandilands’ case could be heard simultaneously with Henderson’s own case against the radio giant, saying Henderson’s case may take longer to prepare, which would create an ‘unnecessary’ delay.

Any delay could potentially result in further costs for Sandilands, he said.

+8
View gallery

Holden’s comments come as it was revealed that Sandilands and Henderson will never present breakfast radio on KIIS again, as the radio giant reveals relationships have ‘completely broken down’ and prospects are ‘hopeless’

Henderson did not appear in court, but her lawyer said there was no dispute from ARN that Sandilands allegedly bullied her client.

Her main claim, the lawyer said, was whether ARN was responsible for Henderson’s wellbeing at work.

She opposed the idea that both matters could be heard at the same time because, while Henderson is suing ARN rather than Sandilands, her claim includes allegations that Sandilands ’caused her significant psychological harm’.

Joining the matters would place Henderson at the centre of a much larger case that goes beyond the scope of her Fair Work claim, her lawyer said.

Henderson’s matter will include evidence about her mental health, and the impact the situation has had on her wellbeing.

ARN lawyers argued the matters should be heard together because there was a large amount of overlapping evidence.

‘It was all recorded, we don’t expect there will be a dispute about what has occurred – Ms Henderson said these incidents amounted to workplace bullying… and we agree that is a correct characterisation of that conduct,’ he said.

‘We don’t expect Mr Sandilands to agree this amounted to serious misconduct, but the court is going to look at that conduct, characterise it, reaching conclusions about both and find facts about that conduct.’

+8
View gallery

The revelations were made in the Federal Court in Sydney on Friday amid civil cases brought by both stars against former employer ARN, owner of KIIS 106.5, over the termination of their combined $200million contracts

He said those conclusions may end up being very different if the cases were heard separately.

Justice Stewart tentatively set hearing dates for October 12, but did not make a decision over whether the matters should merge.

Outside court, Sandilands said: ‘I can talk to anyone – it’s the media business.

‘One day you hate someone, the next day you’re best friends… There’s strategy and then there’s truth, and once we get inside, you’ll get all the answers out and the truth will raise its head.’

He also said the dispute had become ‘pretty ugly’, adding that his message to ARN was to put him back on the radio.