Health scare puts talkback radio king Alan Jones back in hospital

TALKBACK king Alan Jones has suffered yet another health setback, hospitalised with an infection this week after a horror year of health issues and scares.

TALKBACK king Alan Jones has suffered yet another health setback, hospitalised with an infection this week after a horror year of health issues and scares.

Jones’ 2GB understudy Chris Smith has taken the reigns of his AM breakfast show every day this week, with Jones off air since he hung up his headphones last Friday.

Adam Lang, the chief operating officer of Macquarie Media — the network that controls 2GB Sydney — confirmed the shock jock remained in hospital.

“He is unwell but recovering,” Mr Lang told The Daily Telegraph.

Alan Jones has had a tough year health-wise. Picture: Ray Strange.

“We have instructed Alan to come back when he is ready and he is feeling up to it.”

Jones was off the airwaves from November before returning to work on March 27 after four operations on his neck and back in as many months.

He was also forced to take three days off on May 17, 18 and 19 after developing multiple new blood clots, radio insiders said.

Mr Lang wouldn’t speculate when Jones would be back on air, other than to say “he doesn't feel like it will be too long”.

“At this point we don’t have a date,” he said.

“We don’t want to put any pressure on him. I hope it’s not too long, I don’t think it will be too long, but if I put a date on it, it puts pressure on him which we don’t want to do.”

2GB are encouraging Jones to take enough time off to recovery properly.

Mr Lang said listeners would be kept up-to-date on Jones’ condition.

“We will keep our listeners informed on 2GB, so they can stay tuned. We’ve been forthright to this point and we will always do that.”

In Jones’ first complete radio ratings survey of 2017, 2GB’s breakfast slot increased its share 0.3 of a percentage point to 13.8 per cent.