Jackie ‘O’ Henderson has broken her since after her former colleague Paola Cracknell died suddenly at age 39.
Paola worked as a senior producer and lead talent booker for The Kyle & Jackie O Show from January 2006 to May 2010.
Jackie, 50, has joined a raft of tributes from friends, industry peers and public figures, taking to Instagram on Monday to offer her condolences.
The radio queen shared a photo that showed Paola sitting in the 2Day FM studio with a bouquet of flowers on the desk in front of her.
Captioning the image, Jacqui said that, while heartbroken, she was glad that the pair had managed to ‘reconnect’ before Paola’s death.
‘Beautiful P. I’m so thankful we reconnected just a few months ago in such a meaningful way,’ Jacqui wrote.
Jackie ‘O’ Henderson (pictured) has broken her since after her former colleague Paola Cracknell died suddenly at age 39
‘You were the sweetest soul, so kind, generous and full of love.’
Jackie rounded out her heartfelt tribute with: ‘We’ll all miss you deeply. I hope you’ve found the peace and happiness your soul deserves.’
Paola’s passing was announced via a statement on her Instagram account on April 10.
‘Though this is hard to share, we know the impact P had. We are incredibly sad to share that our beautiful girl has passed on,’ the statement read.
‘Anyone who knew Paola knows how special she was, an extraordinary person with a heart beyond words. We are heartbroken and are finding our way through the grief, as we ask for time while we process.’
Loved ones are now planning a memorial in Sydney on Tuesday, April 15.
‘We would love for you to join us in honouring and remembering our beautiful Paola — a soul so full of love, light, and joy,’ a follow-up post said.
Paola’s estranged husband, music executive Govind Sandhu, paid tribute to her in a moving Instagram post, sharing a gallery of special moments from their eight-year relationship.
Jackie, 50, has joined a raft of tributes from friends, industry peers and public figures, taking to Instagram on Monday to offer her condolences
‘Beautiful P. I’m so thankful we reconnected just a few months ago in such a meaningful way,’ Jacqui wrote. ‘You were the sweetest soul, so kind, generous and full of love’
‘My darling P. We all are so heartbroken, devastated and still can’t believe this is real. The pain & loss we are feeling is nothing like we have experienced before,’ he began.
‘You will always be the greatest of all time, the top of my pyramid and my soulmate. Eight years together and five years married gave us the most epic core memories.’
He described their relationship as full of joy, travel and creativity: ‘We travelled the world, lived, worked, drove to work and went to work lunch together for years—these are my happiest memories.’
The couple had separated before Govind’s stage-four Non Hodgkins Lymphoma diagnosis but she helped him in his battle.
‘Even though we separated well before my diagnosis we remained close, you were my biggest supporter, always there for me and that meant the world to me.’
He continued: ‘You were my support system as we navigated the loss of my father in 2020… I’m so sorry for getting sick, I know it weighed so heavily on you.’
‘You were a force like no other. One of one who left the most remarkable imprint on the world & those around you. We are all going to miss you so much forever. I promise to honour you for the rest of my life… I love you so much, rest in peace our darling P.’
Paola’s death has sent shockwaves through the creative and media industries, with her long and decorated career earning her admiration globally.
Paola worked as a senior producer and lead talent booker for The Kyle & Jackie O Show from January 2006 to May 2010
Jackie has joined a raft of Paola’s friends, industry peers and public figures offering their condolences
Paola’s passing was announced via a statement on her Instagram account on April 10
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According to her LinkedIn profile, she most recently held senior roles at INVNT Group, serving as Senior Director of Marketing at INVNT.ATOM and Director of Strategic Partnerships – APAC. Prior to that, she led culture partnerships for Red Bull in Austria and was Head of Client Service at media agency Initiative.
She worked as a senior producer and lead talent booker for The Kyle and Jackie ‘O’ show from January 2006 to May 2010.
She was widely regarded as a trailblazer in brand storytelling, innovation, and cultural marketing, known for her bold creative vision and magnetic energy.
Friends, industry peers and public figures have taken to social media to share their grief and memories of Paola, using the hashtag #Forever_Paola.
Lisa Veronica of pop duo The Veronicas wrote: ‘I love you Paola… I will cherish every second I got to be back in your beautiful presence again. A soul sister who made life so beautiful. Rest easy babygirl. And into the next.’
Radio presenter Justin Hill commented: ‘So sorry to hear this. Sending love to you all.’
Music executive Dave Simon added: ‘Nooo, P. Heartbreaking to hear.’
Publicist Charlie Boyce said: ‘Heartbreaking. All my love to those that loved her. Beautiful and vibrant xx.’
Paola’s estranged husband, music executive Govind Sandhu, paid tribute to her in a moving Instagram post, sharing a gallery of special moments from their eight-year relationship
She was widely regarded as a trailblazer in brand storytelling, innovation, and cultural marketing, known for her bold creative vision and magnetic energy. (Paola pictured second from right, alongside Samantha Wills, Matt Dillon and Danielle Cox)
Raul Gonzales added: ‘Such devastating news to hear. Sending love and prayers.’
Former friend Danielle Cox left a deeply personal tribute, recalling their early days together: ‘My first roommate coming to Sydney at 19! One of my first friends in a new city, then workmates later on… Party nights, going to live band shows together, and you being a cheerleader from the sidelines like you always were for people.’
She continued: ‘I was meaning to call and I hate that I didn’t. Thinking we had all the time in the world. You are so loved and so admired P.’
The celebration of Paola’s life will take place at Wisteria Room, Centennial Homestead, with loved ones encouraged to bring photos and memories to share in a special memory book.
‘We have felt so deeply the love from every part of P’s world, and we would be so grateful to share this time with you,’ the post read.
‘If you have any special memories you’d like to share, we will have a memory book on the day — a space to hold and treasure these moments for the family forever.’