Tony Jones, the sports presenter for Nine’s struggling morning program Today, has signed off for the last time, by telling viewers he ‘got the arse’.
Jones, who wasn’t in the studio for his final appearance, brought his dog Archie to his live cross and began by addressing his sign-off to the canine, saying, “Archie, it’s not a great morning. You should have just stayed in bed with mum, shouldn’t you, mate?”
Jones has left Today
Jones followed that with, “The good news is, Archie has a new two-year contract. I got the arse. It’s all going very, very well.”
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Jones wasn’t the only Nine host to be ending their tenure that morning, with Today Extra host Sonia Kruger coming into the studio for her farewell. When Jones was crossed to, for an interview with boxer Danny Green, he said 2019 had been a hard year for him.
“It’s been a long year. Let me tell you. I feel like I’ve gone 15 rounds, I’m on the ropes, and despite what they say, I’m in your corner,” he said.
The theme continued, with Jones slumped during one cross, encouraging Brooke Boney to ask if he was drunk. Jones replied by saying he didn’t want headlines to run the next day reporting him as drunk, and that he was actually ‘full of life’.
Jones did end his time with the show by saying he wouldn’t be gone forever, and that he’d be on deck in 2020 if ‘eight people called in sick’.
Kruger’s farewell was posted by Nine onto social media, but it appears Jones’ has not been. News.com.au has previously reported tension between Jones and his co-workers, with some on-air banter becoming decidedly uncomfortable. However, Jones told the Herald Sun a week ago that it was his choice to leave the show.
Today is looking at an entirely new lineup in 2020, with Georgie Gardner and Deborah Knight out in favour of Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon. Gardner left immediately after the announcement, while Knight has stayed on until the end of the year. It isn’t yet known what the fate of the other Today talent will be.