Tony Jones storms off set after infamous footage resurfaces
Channel 9 presenter Tony Jones made good on his promise to walk off set if his infamous attempted kiss with Rebecca Judd was shown on air again.
Jones went viral in 2016 after he attempted to kiss Judd during her last show as Nine’s weather presenter before departing for maternity leave, only for her to snub him completely.
It didn’t take long for the awkward footage to gain traction online with the incident being regularly replayed on Channel 9’s AFL Sunday Footy Show which Jones hosts.
But this year, the 58-year-old explained what he would do if the footage was shown again.
“If I see that played one more time at Channel 9, I will walk off the set,” Jones said on 3AW.
“I do not want to see that kiss again.”
Now it has been revealed by The Herald Sun’s Jackie Epstein that Jones did exactly that.
During a live interview with NRL legend Billy Slator on Sunday morning, Jones walked off set.
“What did I say?” Jones said when the vision was aired again to make him the butt of a joke.
“I’ll show you how much of a joke this is. I told you. You can’t help yourself.”
Sunday Footy Show presenter and Geelong legend Billy Brownless said: “We thought he was joking, but he’s not coming back.”
Jones then made his way back to panel begrudgingly, but only because management forced him to.
In March, Jones said Nine News director Hugh Nailon was to blame for the infamous moment.
“I’ve put up with that c**p for years, and it’s not my fault!” Jones declared.
“Our news director, Hugh Nailon, here at Channel 9 at Melbourne. He didn’t organise the flowers. I was supposed to present Bec the flowers.
“And when we realised he’d forgotten to organise the flowers, I said, ‘Well I’m going home’.
“And then I think John Murphy was the floor manager, he sort of said, ‘You’re gonna stay here, you’ll stay here and play happy families’. Well that was a real happy family, wasn’t it?
“So it wasn’t my fault.”