Alan Jones: From king of the airwaves to arrest after indecent assault investigation

He was long-time king of the airwaves, the man who had Prime Ministers on speed dial. This is the rise and fall of Alan Jones as a radio power.

He was long-time king of the airwaves, the man who had Prime Ministers on speed dial, the broadcaster politicians feared. He was also the master coach who guided the Wallabies to a historic still-to-be-repeated Grand Slam triumph in the UK and Ireland in 1984.

On Monday the 83-year-old former speechwriter to Malcolm Fraser was arrested and charged following allegations of indecent assault and sexual touching.

Just two hours after the Australian rugby team beat Wales in Cardiff – the scene of a Jones-coached triumph almost 40 years ago to the day – NSW police entered his Sydney front apartment at Circular Quay.

He was charged several hours later at Day St police station in central Sydney. Detectives from Strike Force Bonnefin had been investigating allegations against Jones for the past nine months.

Broadcaster Alan Jones during his final breakfast show for 2GB. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

For more than three decades Jones was the most influential voice on Sydney radio. He joined 2UE in 1985 after then industry kingmaker John Brennan met him at a rugby function the previous year.

When Jones initially agreed to take the step into radio, he agreed by signing on a napkin at a Chinese restaurant. It kick started a 35-year career in which Jones delivered a record 226 ratings survey victories.

“He was an explainer and questioner who had the voice of the common man, the battlers,” Brennan said of Jones on the day of his retirement announcement.

Born in Oakey Queensland to a farmer father and a school teacher mother, he left 2UE in 2002 to join rivals 2GB on a multi-million-dollar contract.

He helped elevate them to the No.1 AM station in Sydney.

However Jones has also been in the headlines for reasons other than record ratings numbers.

In 1988 he was arrested in London on a charge of outraging public decency over an alleged incident in a public toilet. The charges would later be dropped.

He sparked outrage for comments in 2012 about Australia’s first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard, suggesting her father had died of shame.

Seven years later he made controversial remarks about New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, saying: “I just wonder whether Scott Morrison’s going to be fully briefed to shove a sock down her throat.”

The London issue emerged after Jones had flown to England in early December 1988. He went for a walk the morning he arrived and was arrested that day on charges that would be withdrawn the same month.

Wallabies coach Alan Jones flanked by captain Nick Farr-Jones (L) and Peter Grigg are all smiles after Australia defeated New Zealand's All Blacks in the first Bledisloe Cup test match in 1986.

Back home there was an outpouring of public support from a series of high-profile figures including Kerry Packer and John Singleton.

In 2012, he sparked outrage for comments in a speech at a Sydney University Liberal Club event suggesting Ms Gillard’s late father “died of shame” because of his daughter’s political “lies”.

Jones later acknowledged his words may have caused the then PM distress.

“To even offer any impression that I might seek to diminish the grief that a daughter would feel for her father, independently who that daughter might be, is unacceptable,” he said.

Seven years later he made the controversial remarks about the NZ PM.

When Jones left 2GB in 2020, he announced his retirement on medical grounds.

Behind the scenes there were suggestions the station had prompted the decision after advertisers had walked away from his program, taking their dollars with them, due to the commentary about the NZ PM.

Australia’s media watchdog, a week after Jones’ retirement announcement, said his comments nine months earlier about Ms Ardern had breached broadcasting decency rules.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) said the remarks were highly offensive and did not meet contemporary community expectations.

Broadcaster Alan Jones during his final breakfast show for 2GB from his home at Fitzroy Falls in the Southern Highlands, Friday, May 29, 2020. Picture: AAP

“This was evident in the public display of outrage from the community, (and) actions by advertisers,” ACMA said.

On the day of his retirement announcement, Jones told his 2GB listeners: “We are living in the world of Coronavirus. The most repeated statement we hear is ‘we must listen to the experts’.

“Well, the experts are telling me in no uncertain terms, and not for the first time I might add, ‘continuing with the present workload is seriously detrimental to your health’.

“I have listened to the experts and I am taking this opportunity to indicate to my radio family that I will be retiring from radio at the end of this month.”

Those who rang in to pay tribute that morning were former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, while Nine chairman Peter Costello said: “His ratings record will never be matched. A great career. An outstanding contribution”.

Ben Fordham was announced as his replacement on the breakfast show.

Jones later signed with Australian Digital Holdings TV, broadcasting via social media platforms from December 2021, but has not been active since late last year.

After overcoming prostate cancer almost 20 years ago, he has been battling further health issues.

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