“Crushed but not broken.” “He’s back.” “I don’t miss Jackie.” Kyle Sandilands was front-page news for two days running at News Corp’s Daily Telegraph last weekend, as a “Sandilands special” breathily detailed his return to the limelight after being axed from Kiis FM.

On Wednesday, the Tele reported “what the shock jock is really like”. The answers were glowing: “interesting”, “so funny”, “inherently charming” and a “man of the people” were just a few of the descriptors.

The Tele’s website has run 16 articles on Sandilands in the past week, including a 33-minute video interview. It coincides with the launch of the former radio host’s new venture, an app and website named “Kyle Sandilands Live”.

For a flat annual rate of $99, subscribers gain access to daily four-hour live shows, starting on 10 August, and a four-part documentary, At Home With Kyle, which largely consists of Sandilands sitting on his couch in a tracksuit talking about how he’s totally fine. “Here I am, fuckin’ fired!” he cries at one point with a laugh.

It’s an interesting move while his former co-host, Jackie “O” Henderson, is still in court, particularly given the subscription grants users access to a community forum where they can air their views at leisure.

Unsurprisingly, Henderson won’t be appearing on Kyle Sandilands Live, but he’s moved on from his messy work breakup into a new partnership with a news.com.au reporter who has extensively covered him.

Wealth and culture reporter Mary Madigan, 31, was revealed in a news.com.au exclusive to be joining Sandilands on the program as a newsreader.

“I will present the show and Mary will be like the second tier and then there’s also the other ensemble cast as well,” Sandilands told News Corp. He became aware of Madigan after viewing her vox pops and morning TV appearances, he said.

“She was great on the air. It was just a nice, electric, high energy feel and she was funny,” he said. “I thought, ‘Well, that’s it. Tick, tick, tick. I’ll take that one.’”

Madigan has reported extensively on Sandilands and Henderson, including his court case, and made regular........

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