Channel Nine controversy magnet Tony Jones storms off the set over AFL player’s Rebecca Judd joke
Nine star Tony Jones has sensationally walked off the set of the Footy Show after Gold Coast Suns talent Zeke Uwland made a joke about his attempt to kiss Rebecca Judd live on air in 2016.
Uwland dropped the gag on Sunday after being invited onto the program as a guest following his side’s unbeaten start to the season.
After poking fun at Jones when he failed to bounce an AFL footy properly at the start of the segment, he then followed up with the quip about the infamous on-air controversy.
Uwland was asked whether he’d seen Jones’s famous on-air slip-up when he tried to handball and completely missed back in 2018.
‘Oh, I don’t know, I’ve just seen [the incident with] Bec Judd, that’s all,’ the 18-year-old rising star replied.
The remark left the AFL panel in stitches, with Jones storming off the live broadcast and walking away.
Tony Jones (right) is pictured storming off the set of Channel Nine’s Footy Show on Sunday
Jones was the butt of a joke from Gold Coast star Zeke Uwland (pictured) that left the whole panel in stitches
Uwland’s gag referred to the infamous moment Jones was rejected when he tried to kiss fellow TV presenter Bec Judd on a news broadcast (pictured)
‘I tell you what, I don’t mind copping s**t from you lot (the panel), but when I start getting it from that (Uwland), I’m out of here,’ he said while walking away.
Uwland’s comment referred to Jones getting brushed off by Judd as she bid farewell to Nine’s Melbourne news bulletin in August 2016.
Jones attempted to give her a peck on the cheek before she went on maternity leave.
‘Good luck, Bec!’ he said, before leaning in as the WAG pulled away and yelped, before bursting into fits of giggles.
Jones crossed his arms and grumbled, ‘OK, good, this is going well,’ as his face turned red.
In March 2020, Tony revealed the truth behind the toe-curling moment, saying he was supposed to present Rebecca with flowers, but somebody had forgotten to buy them.
In a moment of panic, he decided to just kiss her on the cheek instead, but the gesture didn’t go down well.
The veteran sports broadcaster has attracted plenty of controversy during his career.
Jones (centre) refused to keep ‘copping s***’ from the 18-year-old Suns star
Tony Jones (pictured) has been involved in several controversies during his career
‘Chompers’ has even gone head to head with Novak Djokovic, in a controversy which gained global attention after the Serbian took offence to comments the Nine star made at the 2025 Australian Open.
Jones made remarks about Djokovic and his Serbian fans during a broadcast, including the phrase ‘kick him out,’ which many interpreted as referencing Djokovic’s 2021 deportation from Australia.
‘Novak’s overrated. Novak’s a has-been. Novak, kick him out… Boy, I’m glad they can’t hear me,’ he said.
Djokovic believed Jones ‘made a mockery’ of Serbian spectators at the tournament and described his comments as ‘insulting and offensive’.
The TV presenter was forced to apologise for his remarks but insisted they had been ‘misinterpreted’.
