Life and times of Alan Jones: From teaching to Wallabies to controversy
Good, bad or otherwise, Alan Jones has never been far from the limelight over the past four decades.
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Even by shock jock standards Alan Jones has found a way to create headlines.
Good, bad or otherwise, the 82-year-old radio veteran and one-time rugby union and rugby league coach has never been far from the limelight over the past four decades.
This is the story of his rise, his challenges and the string of controversies he has endured.
EARLY LIFE
Alan Belford Jones was born April 13, 1941 to farmer and coal miner Charlie Thomas (1906–90) and former schoolteacher Elizabeth (nee Belford; 1906–82) in Oakey, Queensland.
One of three children, his older brother Robert Charles and younger sister Colleen would both go on to become school teachers, a path Jones himself would follow.
Raised on a dairy farm, Jones attended Acland State School before transferring to Toowoomba Grammar School as a boarder.
TEACHING LIFE
Following his family members’ footsteps, Jones trained as a teacher at the Kelvin Grove Teachers College in Brisbane before starting his career at Ironside State School in 1961.
Two years later he earned a job at private school Brisbane Grammar School, a role he held until 1969.
He continued to study part-time at University of Queensland for a Bachelor of Arts degree, which he was awarded in 1967.
In 1970 Jones was appointed Senior English Master at The King’s School, Parramatta in Sydney, holding the position until 1975.
In the early 1970s he completed a one-year teaching diploma at Worcester College, Oxford.
Through these years Jones gained recognition as a sports coach across tennis, athletics and rugby union.
POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS
In 1974 Doug Anthony, leader of the Country Party, offered Jones a position with the party in Canberra.
Within a year he sought party preselection as the candidate for the Federal parliamentary seat of Eden-Monaro, but lost the bid.
He suffered another failed political bid in 1978 when he lost his bid to land the NSW state seat of Earlwood for the Liberal Party.
Jones endured further disappointment the following year, and his 1986 late withdrawal from Liberal preselection for the Federal Division of Wentworth in Sydney appeared to signal the end of his career.
COACHING CAREER
Rugby union
Jones impressed with strong performances while head coach of the First XV rugby union side at The King’s School, including an unbeaten 1974 season.
His progression culminated with his first semi-professional role in 1982 as manager of the NSW rugby union side.
A year later he steered Manly to a first Shute Shield title in 32 years.
Now a bona fide coaching star on the rise, Jones usurped Bob Dwyer as Wallabies coach in February 1984, steering the national side to 23 wins from 30 Tests over the next four years.
One of the highlights of his Wallabies coaching career was the 1984 grand slam victories over England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland, and a Barbarians side.
This led to Jones being awarded Coach of the Year from the Confederation of Australian Sport the following year.
There was more success to come, with the 1986 Bledisloe Cup victory against New Zealand in New Zealand the first time that had been achieved in 39 years.
Through these efforts he was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1988, and a year later he added a spot in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
Dwyer returned to coach the Wallabies in 1989, with Jones having a shock switch to rugby league over the coming season.
In October 2007 he signalled his interest in returning to the Wallabies post, though the role would eventually go to Robbie Deans.
Rugby league
Known for his alternative thinking, Jones made a shock switch to the 13-man code to lead Balmain in the NSWRL competition in 1990.
After modest returns over the coming seasons Jones left the Tigers at the end of the 1993 season, by which time his radio career was firmly on the rise.
MEDIA CAREER
In 1985 Jones joined Sydney radio station 2UE as the morning show host, replacing John Laws.
Over the coming years he rose to have one of the largest audiences across Sydney, and Australia.
His programs were built on strong opinions, forthright interviews and engaging talkback content.
With largely conservative views, Jones became one of the most influential broadcasters in Australia.
Between 1990 and 1997, Jones was awarded the Commercial Radio Australia title of Australian Radio Talk Personality of the Year seven times.
In 2002, amid reports he took a financial interest in 2GB, Jones switched to the rival station as a breakfast host.
Over the coming years his radio ratings began to decline, though he retained the biggest overall audience in Sydney.
By November 2014, Jones celebrated 100 consecutive Sydney breakfast radio rating survey wins – but amid slightly falling numbers.
In May 2020, citing poor health, Jones confirmed he would retire from his role at 2GB.
Jones was also a regular columnist throughout the 1990s and featured on a string of TV shows, ending when his Sky News contract was not renewed in 2021.
In 2021 Jones made his stage musical debut as Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the Lyric Theatre’s production of Annie the Musical in Sydney.
CONTROVERSIES
Ardern comments
In August 2019 Jones was criticised for claiming that Prime Minister Scott Morrison should “shove a sock down (the) throat” of Jacinda Ardern.
The New Zealand leader had earlier criticised the Australian Government’s inaction on climate change.
Amid a spray that included accusing Ardern of being a hypocrite, Jones’ comments were widely slammed and it was reported a handful of businesses cancelled advertising with 2GB following complaints.
Jones later sent an apology letter to Prime Minister Ardern for “not choosing his words carefully.”
Some speculated that this incident ultimately led to his resignation from the station.
“Died of shame”
In September 2012 at a Sydney function Jones claimed Prime Minister Gillard’s father had recently “died of shame”.
The remarks were condemned from all sides, with Jones later holding a press conference to apologise, though Julia Gillard refused to receive a call from Jones.
It was reported this led to many sponsors pulling advertising from Jones’s show, followed social media lobbying to have the remaining advertisers boycott the program.
Within the month Macquarie Radio Network suspended all advertising on the show in a move that was estimated to cost the station between $1 million and $1.5 million.
Climate change
Using his radio programs as an outlet, Jones has openly stated he does not believe in human-induced climate change and has attacked Australia’s tax system as a means of reducing carbon emissions.
Instead Jones is a supporter of the Galileo Movement, a climate change denial group which argues that climate change is a hoax perpetrated to form a world government.
His views have included criticism of Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s decision to introduce a price on carbon.
In 2012 the Australian Communications and Media Authority censured Jones for broadcasting falsities about anthropological carbon dioxide, ordering him to undergo factual accuracy training and employ a fact-checker.
Political attacks
From Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore to prime ministers to the Greens, Jones has never been short of views.
He repeated a similar line about Greens leader Bob Brown and in 2011 he famously called then Prime Minister Gillard on-air “Ju-liar”, drawing focus from ABC’s Media Watch.
Jones has also previously attacked Australia’s irrigation and dam systems, including the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, as well as a range of other topics such as coal seam gas, mining and foreign ownership.
In 2005 he also sparked controversy for weighing into the Cronulla riots issue.
Covid claims
With Covid fears rising in March 2020, Jones downplayed the severity of the looming pandemic as “the health version of global warming. Exaggeration in almost everything. Certainly in description, and certainly in behaviour”.
He continued to play down the risk of Covid, a view condemned in part because a large part of his audience was older people at risk of infection.
Jones somewhat recanted soon afterwards: “ … those at greater risk, older Australians and those who are more vulnerable, particularly those with pre-existing conditions … it is a far more serious virus”.
UK incident
In December 1988 Jones was arrested in an underground public toilet on Broadwick Street in London and charged with outraging public decency and committing an indecent act.
The following day in Marlborough Street Magistrates’ Court the more serious charge was dropped and Jones pleaded not guilty to committing an indecent act.
The second charge was also later dropped.
On his first radio show back in January 1989, Jones said: “I am and always was innocent of the charges levelled against me”.
‘Racist’ comments
In January 1993 Jones claimed the decision to award Aboriginal Australian Mandawuy Yunupingu as Australian of the Year as “ridiculous”, suggesting it came because of his “colour or … history”.
That same year Aboriginal Australian Charles Perkins and Jones clashed in a live TV and radio debate.
Jones said Australians are “getting no say when (Aboriginal people) say this is (their) nation; it’s not, it’s Australia’s nation”.
Perkins labelled Jones a racist: “You’ve sat on your white bum at 2UE in Sydney all your life so you wouldn’t know what goes on out there”.
Cash for comments
Between 1999 and 2000 Jones and fellow broadcaster John Laws were invested over accusations they offered favourable comments on their shows for personal commercial sponsors.
The Australian Broadcasting Authority ultimately decided that disclosure had to be made.
The issue reappeared in April 2004 when it was revealed David Flint, who had headed the cash for comment inquiries, had sent a stream of admiring letters to Jones.
As an inquiry loomed, Flint resigned.
Indecent assault allegations
Jones in December 2023 strongly denied allegations of indecent assault made against him by a number of men during his influential radio career.
The Sydney Morning Herald claimed Jones used his position of power to prey on men, allegedly groping or inappropriately touching them without their consent.
Law firm Mark O’Brien Legal later issued a statement: “Our client denies ever having indecently assaulted the persons referred to in your letter, and your suggestion that he has is scandalous, grossly offensive and seriously defamatory of him.”
Originally published as Life and times of Alan Jones: From teaching to Wallabies to controversy
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