Jackie ‘O’ Henderson has opened up about a shocking new career change after revealing her past battles with drugs and alcohol.

The 49-year-old radio host stunned listeners on Thursday when she shared harrowing details about her journey with addiction while speaking to co-host Kyle Sandilands on their radio show.

Jackie has since revealed her dream of opening her own rehab center and has already started looking at properties for the facility.

To talk to Sydney Morning Heraldshared her plans, Jackie said the center would be ideally located in bushland and affordable for all.

The multi-millionaire broadcaster added that she has been looking at up to 20 hectares of bushland south-west of Sydney as a possible site for the centre.

“I can only speak from my experience, because my addiction is so different than anyone else’s,” Jackie said in the candid interview,

“But people can ask me what they want, and I’m fine with that.

‘I brought this up, I put it out myself, so I’m totally fine talking about it. I’m glad I can be more authentic than I’ve ever been.

Jackie ‘O’ Henderson has opened up about a shocking new career change after revealing her past battles with drugs and alcohol

Jackie also shared how she felt it was important to open up about her past addiction and turn her back on feelings of shame.

‘Who cares if someone judges me? I’m tired of burying the parts of me that aren’t perfect in everyone’s eyes, she said.

It comes after the svelte beauty shared how her personal story of addiction with listeners during the Kyle and Jackie O Show this week.

Fighting back tears, Jackie revealed that she checked into rehab facility Betty Ford Clinic in California in November 2022, when she took an extended break from The Kyle and Jackie O Show which she previously claimed was due to prolonged Covid.

Jackie has since revealed her dream of opening her own rehab center and has already started looking at properties for the facility

Betty Ford is known for treating Hollywood stars, including Keith Urban, Robert Downey Jr. and Lindsay Lohan, charging anywhere from $45,000 to $90,000 AUD for a month-long stay, depending on the program.

Jackie revealed on the show that her longtime friend Gemma had been instrumental in getting Jackie into rehab.

Jackie emotionally credited Gemma with saving her life by persuading her to check into the Betty Ford Clinic.

She recalled: ‘It came to a head and (Gemma) was such a good friend. She said ”I’m sorry Jackie, but you’re not going to cut this, it’s never going to work. I’ll check you into rehab at the end of the week and off we go”.

‘I said’ was not ridiculous, Gemma as it is so exaggerated. I don’t have a problem so I need to go to Betty Ford”.

“And she said no, we’re going and we’re doing it and I thank God she did,” Jackie admitted.

“Thank goodness there was someone out there like her because I think she saved my life.”

She said they took a night flight out of Australia and boarded at the “last moment” to avoid being spotted and then hopped over to LA, where Gemma stayed with her for two days before checking into the Betty Ford Clinic.

She said Gemma came with her to LA and helped her get on the plane “undetected” as she discussed keeping her addiction a secret for two “long and painful years”.

Fighting back tears, Jackie revealed that she checked into the Betty Ford Clinic rehab facility in California in November 2022, when she took an extended break from Kyle and Jackie O that she previously claimed was due to prolonged covid.

At the time, Kyle – who was unaware of Jackie’s drug addiction – told his listeners that Jackie was taking a break to “focus on her health” after contracting Covid.

Instead, she was secretly flown out of Australia for 28 days of treatment at the world-renowned rehab facility for an addiction to painkillers, sleeping pills and alcohol.

At the height of her addiction, Jackie was taking about 10-12 Stilnox/Zolpidem sleeping pills and 24 Panadeine Forte a day, taking them while drinking alcohol.

Stilnox users are warned not to drink alcohol as it can slow down the respiratory system and make it difficult to wake up.

Jackie said Betty Ford told her not to change “anything” about her use before she arrived because it could be “dangerous” so she was still taking the pills the day she flew to the US.

Jackie also said she went “back and forth” on whether to share the news publicly before detailing the extent of her addiction in her upcoming memoir The Whole Truth, scheduled for release on October 29.