A hilarious yet tense moment unfolded on the AFL Footy Show when veteran host Tony Jones abruptly walked off the set following a cheeky remark from Gold Coast Suns prospect Zeke Uwland.
The On-Air Exchange
Uwland, an 18-year-old rising star, appeared as a guest to celebrate his team’s unbeaten start to the season. The segment kicked off with Jones struggling to bounce an AFL football properly, drawing laughs from the panel.
When asked if he had seen Jones’s infamous 2018 handball mishap, Uwland quipped, ‘Oh, I don’t know, I’ve just seen [the incident with] Bec Judd, that’s all.’
The panel erupted in laughter at the reference to Jones’s awkward 2016 on-air moment with Rebecca Judd. Jones, visibly unimpressed, declared, ‘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,’ before storming away from the live broadcast.
Recalling the Rebecca Judd Incident
The joke harkened back to August 2016, when Jones leaned in for a cheek kiss to bid farewell to Rebecca Judd during Nine’s Melbourne news bulletin ahead of her maternity leave. Judd pulled away, yelped, and burst into giggles as Jones crossed his arms and muttered, ‘OK, good, this is going well,’ his face flushing red.
In March 2020, Jones explained the mishap, revealing he was meant to present flowers but panicked when they were forgotten. He opted for the kiss instead, which did not land as intended.
Jones’s History of On-Air Controversies
Nicknamed ‘Chompers,’ the seasoned sports broadcaster has faced several high-profile incidents. Notably, at the 2025 Australian Open, Jones’s comments about Novak Djokovic and Serbian fans sparked backlash.
During a broadcast, he remarked, ‘Novak’s overrated. Novak’s a has-been. Novak, kick him out… Boy, I’m glad they can’t hear me.’ Djokovic called the statements ‘insulting and offensive,’ accusing Jones of mocking Serbian spectators.
Jones later apologized, maintaining his words had been misinterpreted.
