Kyle Sandilands has weighed in on Molly Meldrum’s recent erratic behavior and revealed he clashed with the TV legend 15 years ago.
Speaking on The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Wednesday, the 51-year-old radio host opened up about the time he “beat up” Meldrum, 79, after he became jealous over Sandilands getting a judge’s role on Australian Idol .
Meldrum felt he should have gotten the job because of his industry experience and years of experience hosting the iconic music show Countdown.
Kyle Sandilands (pictured) has weighed in on Molly Meldrum’s recent erratic behavior and revealed he clashed with the TV legend 15 years ago
“Me and Molly had a big argument years ago,” Sandilands told his co-host Jackie “O” Henderson.
“He got so jealous that I was the judge on Australian Idol that he thought he should have been. I attacked him, I wanted to beat him up.
The couple’s explosion came on air in 2007 when Sandilands hosted the breakfast show for 2Day FM.
Meldrum was almost incoherent as he ranted for seven minutes about snubbing the idol, even calling Sandilands “fat” and “arrogant”.
The couple’s explosion happened on air in 2007. Meldrum (pictured in December 2022) was almost incoherent as he rambled for seven minutes about Sandilands being hired as a judge on Australian Idol in his place, even describing the radio host as “fat”. and “arrogant”
“At least I’m not a drunk. At least I’m not some drunken tragedy hiding under a hat,” Sandilands snapped at the time.
Meldrum then urged Sandilands to “get off TV,” adding that his advice on Australian Idol meant “sweet jack s**t” to contestants.
Speaking on his KIIS FM show on Wednesday, Sandilands recalled encountering Meldrum on a flight a year after their on-air conflict.
“I got on the plane and he’s sitting in the chair next to me,” he said. “I looked at him and he said, ‘Oh, no,’ and I said, ‘Oh, yes, your day has come.’
Meldrum bared his bare buttocks live on stage at Elton John’s farewell concert in Melbourne last Friday and later blamed a faulty belt buckle for the incident
The legendary Australian music critic watched his old friend Sir Elton in the crowd at AAMI Park for his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour before being taken on stage
To Sandiland’s surprise, Meldrum apologized for his behavior.
“He was very candid and admitted he was jealous. He just couldn’t control his jealousy,” he said.
It comes after Meldrum’s former protégé, Samuel Johnson, vowed never to speak to the TV legend again after his last sensational performance.
Meldrum had bared his bare buttocks live on stage at Elton John’s farewell concert in Melbourne last Friday and later blamed a faulty belt buckle for the incident.
Meldrum’s former protégé Samuel Johnson (right) vowed on Tuesday to never speak to the TV legend again after his latest sensational performance
Johnson, who acknowledges his long friendship with Meldrum, said Tuesday the dark incident was the final straw after years of keeping his mouth shut, adding that he was “sick” of the music critic’s increasingly erratic behavior.
He told Morning Show hosts Kylie Gillies and Larry Emdur: “He got me out of a legal pickle, I’ve known him for 20 years. He visited my sister in the hospital when she was diagnosed with cancer in the 1980s at the age of 11
“I’m really grateful for everything Molly has done in our lives.”
Things changed at the Logie Awards in 2017, however, when Meldrum stole the spotlight from Johnson when he accepted the Gold Logie onstage for his performance in the Channel Seven miniseries Molly, based on Meldrum’s life.
His relationship with Meldrum changed at the 2017 Logie Awards when the music critic stole Johnson’s spotlight when he accepted the Golden Logie onstage for his performance in the Channel Seven miniseries Molly, based on Meldrum’s life
“When I won the Gold Logie I was about to have my million dollar moment and I told him not to come on stage. He wasn’t nominated, it was my moment,” Johnson said.
He wanted to take the opportunity to promote his charity, Love Your Sister, and to thank his sister Connie, who was battling cancer at the time and died months later.
Johnson hoped the moment would be similar to Carrie Bickmore’s Gold Logie speech two years earlier when she launched her charity, Beanies 4 Brain Cancer.
‘I wanted to do [my speech] about cancer and he wanted to do everything through the network … It was an absolute disaster,” said the actor.
‘He crooned very drunk for a whole eight minutes! Now I saw him again at the Elton John concert.’
Johnson then expressed his concern for the music legend.
“Maybe it’s time to hang up your hat, mate,” he said. ‘I hope he’s fine.’
Johnson said he never forgave Meldrum for staging him at the 2017 Logie Awards (pictured), where he was hoping to use his time on stage to promote his charity Love Your Sister. Instead, a rambling and incoherent meldrum spun on itself
Johnson went on to say that he didn’t take Meldrum’s apology to infatuate the crowd at the Elton John concert, noting that if he had had a belt malfunction “we would have seen his underwear, not his butt.”
“For years I haven’t said anything because I don’t want to say anything,” he added.
“Who are his minders? is he ok He shouldn’t be let out in the afternoon – he’s soaked at this time.”
Johnson went on to hint that Meldrum has a problem with alcohol, claiming he has “two shots of vodka in his coffee in the mornings.”
Johnson played Meldrum in the Channel Seven miniseries Molly, for which he won the Gold Logie (pictured on the show). Unfortunately, his victory was undermined when Meldrum stormed onto the stage during his acceptance speech
‘If I’m going to make anything of him, I have to see him at noon. Stop, Molly!’ he exclaimed.
Gillies then suggested that Johnson might be able to call Meldrum and have a chat about his behavior, but Johnson said he hasn’t spoken to him since the Logies debacle six years ago.
‘I’ll never speak to him again. It cost my charity a million dollars that night,” he said.
“Can someone take care of him? can someone take care of him Can anybody? I’m really worried about him. I’m not mad at him. I’m just really worried,” he added.
Johnson first spoke about Meldrum’s disturbing behavior during an interview with Sofie Formica on Monday on 4BC’s Afternoons.
“He needs to hang up his hat. Now,” he said bluntly.
He made similar comments to WSFM’s Jonesy & Amanda on Tuesday morning.
He made similar comments about WSFM’s Jonesy & Amanda on Tuesday morning, admitting he was “trying to be diplomatic” in relation to Meldrum, although he was angry
‘Can I be honest?’ he said while taking a deep breath. “There’s a lot I haven’t said and I’m really trying to be diplomatic.”
“I’ve seen the same type of things happen over and over, including – when I told him not to – he came on stage during my Gold Logie win and ruined my Carrie’s Beanie moment, in which I wanted to try and raise a lot of money for cancer research,” he added.
‘[He came] drunk as a skunk and babbles for eight minutes to end the logies tonight.’
Then he asked: “Who is taking care of him? He’s not allowed to be in public during the PM, not with the way he’s drinking.’
Johnson asked: “Who’s taking care of him? He’s not allowed to be in public during the PM, not with the way he’s drinking.