Tony Jones has stormed off set after an AFL rookie brutally sledged him about the most infamous moment of his TV career.
Jones was on air on Sunday for Nine’s Footy Show when he copped a ribbing from Gold Coast Suns youngster Zeke Uwland about his notorious kiss with Bec Judd six years ago.
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Uwland and Western Bulldogs young gun Lachie Jacques appeared on the show, taking part in the lighthearted Lou’s Handball segment, where the players and panellists aim to hit a target with a handball.
The segment didn’t get off to a hot start for Jones when instead of handballing, Jones bounced the ball only for the Sherrin to awkwardly dribble away from him.
The panel had a chuckle at his expense, while Uwland quipped: “Hopefully we can handball better than Tony bounces.
Jones fired back: “I tell you what, just when you think the Gold Coast Suns couldn’t get any more cocky at the moment,” referencing the expansion side’s 3-0 start to the AFL season.
“No good work Zeke. Good work, mate love it.”
You can watch the moment play out in the video at the top of the page
Essendon great Matthew Lloyd then asked if Uwland, who has played just three AFL games, had seen the show when Jones had previously failed in the handballing challenge.
“Oh I don’t know, I’ve just seen Bec Judd that’s all,” Uwland immediately responded.
The Footy Show panel of Lloyd, Damian Barratt, Nathan Brown and Rory Sloane exploded into fits of giggles and Jones couldn’t bear it, storming off set.
“I’ll tell you what, I don’t mind copping sh*t from you lot but when I start getting it from that, I’m out of here,” he said.
The panel was crying with laughter but Jones had enough, walking off screen and he didn’t reappear for the remainder of the show.
Uwland’s sledge was a reference to the infamous moment between Jones and Judd during a 2016 Nine News Melbourne bulletin.
Judd, reading the weather at the time, was farewelling her TV gig when Jones placed his arm around her and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, only for Judd to turn away in horror.
She cheekily addressed the incident at the 2024 Brownlow Medal, revealing Jones was “scared” to approach her.
“Did TJ try and kiss you hello downstairs,” Lloyd asked with a grin.
Judd responded: “He didn’t. I was a bit disappointed. I thought he was going to go in for a crack and I’d make a joke about it. And, do you know what, I think he’s scared to be honest. He looked and he kind of went ugh.”
The Essendon legend went back and asked: “Would you have accepted it.”
Judd enjoyed the drama.
“Well you guys absolutely give it to him on The Sunday Footy Show,” she said.
“I watch it and my kids love it because they just see it replayed so many times. Every Sunday. So I kind of hoped he might do it just so we’d get some more funnies out of it.
“He’s actually scared. He had a look of fear in his eye. So I was a bit disappointed.”
Jones said in response: “Was I scared last night? Absolutely. Absolutely.”
“I thought I’ve got four options here. Plant one again? Hug her? Shake hands? Or just let it go.”
He said he chose to “let it go”.
Jones in 2020 famously walked off the Sunday Footy Show set in the middle of filming the live show when the awkward kiss rejection clip was played.
Jones had previously said he was banning the footage from ever being screened on Nine.
“If I see that played one more time at Channel 9, I will walk off the set,” he said on 3AW.
“I do not want to see that kiss again.”
