For millennials who grew up in the 90s, ‘Ugly’ Phil was a staple on Sydney radio.
In fact, before it was the juggernaut that is KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O Show, “Jackie O” Henderson had another radio endeavour. Co-host of the Hot 30 with her former husband, Phil O’Neil.
While we know where Henderson has been the last few years (sitting on top of the FM radio charts for brekkie radio in Sydney), O’Neil disappeared from our radar. Until now.
According to Mumbrella, the former radio host has just got a gig with the Australian Radio Network (which is also home to Henderson’s KIIS FM) with WSFM in Sydney.
Known for Jonsey and Amanda (Brendan “Jonesy” Jones and Amanda Keller) and the Christian O’Connell Show, ‘Ugly’ Phil will start a new 9am-1 pm weekday show on November 23 and has also been confirmed as part of the 2021 lineup.
O’Neil is replacing another TV icon, Mike Hammond — who 90s kids know as one of the hosts of Gladiators — who left the station in October.
“When Phil ‘Philled in’ on WSFM recently, the feedback from listeners was incredibly positive. I knew he would make an excellent addition to WSFM’s stellar lineup and I am so pleased that he decided to join us,” WSFM content director, Mike Byrne said.
The radio star got his start at Sea FM on the Gold Coast in the 1990s, before hosting the Hot 30 countdown for SCA. The show was such a huge success that it was broadcast nationally and was the go-to radio show for audiences across the country.
For the last decade, O’Neil has been on radio between the UK and Australia, and has worked for 2UE Sydney, Nova 96.9, Triple M Nights, Triple M Sydney Breakfast, 96FM and Star 104.5 locally and LBC London, Kerrang Radio in Birmingham, Kiss 100, XFM, and Planet Rock in the UK.
More recently, O’Neil worked with Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) where he hosted Triple M Afternoons and My Generation until early 2019 before he relocated to the UK.