Brutal way KIIS FM Melbourne presenters Lauren Phillips and Jase Hawkins found out they were being FIRED and replaced by Kyle and Jackie O – as ‘Loz’ breaks down in tears live: ‘Had no choice’

KIIS FM’s Melbourne Breakfast host Lauren Phillips broke down in tears on Wednesday morning as she announced she and co-host Jason ‘Jase’ Hawkins had been axed to make way for The Kyle and Jackie O Show.

Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson have signed a historic new 10-year $200 million radio deal that will see them expand into Melbourne at their Sydney station – keeping them on air until 2034.

A spokesperson for ARN confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that the deal means their work friends Jase and Lauren will be unemployed and their Melbourne breakfast show will end in December.

Jase and Lauren’s show was successful for KIIS FM, attracting new listeners to the station and ranking third in the Melbourne market behind Fox FM’s Fifi Fev & Nick and GOLD104.3’s Christian O’Connell.

Jase, 42, and Lauren, 41, made the shocking announcement around the 8.30am live broadcast, revealing they had been informed via a phone call the night before.

Lauren cried and said she “didn’t want to say goodbye to Melbourne.”

Hawkins – who started his radio career in 2004 at Triple M and previously worked on The Kyle and Jackie O Show – sounded absolutely devastated as he recalled his bosses at ARN breaking the news to him in a phone call at around 6pm as he turned on his radio it was putting. three children – Felix, nine, and Huddy, seven, and Archie, one – to bed.

‘Sad news that we want to share with you. Last night we got a call from management saying the show will end at the end of the year,” Jase began the announcement.

“Kyle and Jackie O will take over next year, they will syndicate the show from Sydney for broadcast in Melbourne.”

Jase and Lauren then got emotional as they reminisced about all the experiences they had shared during their two and a half years on air.

‘We wouldn’t want it any other way. We got together during lockdown when we couldn’t spend time getting to know each other and this has just been the most glorious friendship,” a teary Lauren began.

Lauren began her career in media over a decade ago and has worked extensively in both TV and radio, including presenting on the Today Show, Today Extra, Getaway, The Australian Open Tennis, 20 to 1 and Helloworld Travel.

‘We didn’t want this. In those two years we said goodbye to both your father and mother, we said hello to your baby Archie and said goodbye to the Queen. “We celebrated and had broken limbs and heads,” she said.

‘We’re a bit of a dysfunctional family. And we’re still on the air until the end of next week, so we’ll still be rocking. I wish Kyle and Jackie O the best of luck, they are extremely lucky to inherit the people who listen to this show,” an emotional Jase added.

In a statement celebrating the historic contract extension, Sandilands said: “Fans of the show will be pleased to hear that this 10-year deal is the longest radio deal in Australian history.

“Love us or loathe us, Jackie and I will continue with our politically incorrect nonsense for a long time.”

He added: “We would like to thank the listeners. Staff. All clients. Even senior management, I’ll give a nod to that. They’ve actually done something brilliant.’

This means the duo will dominate markets beyond their Sydney-based audience and expand their reach Melbourne For the first time.

One unique clause in the contract gives Sandilands the ability to broadcast the show ‘anywhere in the world’.

The shock jock has often worked on the KIIS FM show from Los Angeles and other places, so the new contract will give him the flexibility to continue broadcasting wherever he wants.

The landmark $200 million deal means Sandilands and Henderson will each earn $10 million a year, double their current salaries of around $5 million a year.

According to the Financial Review, Kyle and Jackie’s contracts include “a base salary, a percentage share of sales above what is now earned – known as ‘incremental growth,’ and sign-on bonuses consisting primarily of stock in ARN.”

ARN chief executive Ciaran Davis said expanding Kyle and Jackie’s show to Melbourne will “attract new audiences and increase commercial opportunities”.

“Melbourne is the largest radio advertising market in Australia and represents an opportunity for ARN Media to grow viewership and revenue on KIIS 101.1,” he said.

“Kyle and Jackie O have grown into a powerful brand that contributes significantly to ARN’s commercial success, and this new agreement strategically positions us for long-term growth beyond radio.”

Jackie celebrated the exciting news by sharing a glamorous selfie of herself with Kyle on social media, alongside a gushing caption about their next decade together.

“I can’t believe I get to work with this man for the next ten years,” she wrote.

‘How lucky am I? Thanks to our loyal listeners and [ARN] – so happy to announce that we’ve just signed up for another 10 years of breakfast radio. What a dream!!!!’

Last week it was revealed that Kyle and Jackie O triumphed in the sixth radio ratings of the year.

KIIS FM’s The Kyle and Jackie O Show beat 2GB’s Ben Fordham in Sydney to take a huge audience share of 14.7 per cent (up 0.8 per cent on last year).