Has Alan Jones been asked to tone down his colourful suits?
Alan Jones is almost as famous for his colourful fashion choices as he is for his record-breaking broadcasting career, but was a recent bright orange suit a step too far for his new bosses at Sky News?
Opinion
Don't miss out on the headlines from Opinion. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Not just anyone can get away with pairing an orange suit with a red tie on national television — a universal style tenet that begs one question: Did Alan Jones?
Two weeks after TV broadcaster Jones unleashed what is now being referred to in the backrooms of Sky News as “Alan’s jaffa” moment (a nod to the popular confection Allen’s Jaffas), the sartorially fearless Jones appears to have consigned many of his favourite suits — in the sorbet shades of mint, pink and lemon — to the back of his considerable wardrobe.
In their place for Jones’s four-weeknight TV Sky commitment since the jaffa alarm sounded on August 4, has been a conservative array of sombre navy blue suits — with one exception on Wednesday last when he enjoyed a pistachio interlude.
Yesterday a Sky exec denied Jones had been instructed to quieten his artistic soul.
MORE NEWS
How Barilaro seeks help for his own personal demons
Hotel fined for Laundy son birthday lunch breach
B4L boss asked gangster to chase Mehajer over debt, court told
“You can’t tell Alan what to do. Anyone who thinks you can is misinformed,” said one, preferring not to be named but adding that Jones, channelling Madonna, had been known to wear one outfit for a spot on Peta Credlin’s program before changing to a second outfit for his later show the same night.
Officially we were told: “As well as holding the prestigious record as Australia’s most successful broadcaster, Alan is a renowned style icon and we fully embrace the extensive hues in his wardrobe.”
While Jones didn’t wish to be drawn on the talk of a rumoured edict which looks to be supported by attire worn to air, he was more than happy to direct this writer to statistics concerning his audience.
Audiences for the 8pm timeslot on Sky are up 67 per cent on the same time last year, a Sky spokeswoman confirmed.
No doubt with many tuning in to see what Jones is wearing.
KELLY NO CELEBRITY ACCOUNTANT
Unlike some Sydney accountants, Brett Kelly isn’t one to trumpet his big name clients.
The financial services guru, father-of-three and husband to fellow accountant Bec has no interest in appearing in newspaper society pages, isn’t drawn to iconic public events for the TV coverage and deftly ducks the question when pressed to reveal his high-profile celebrity client list.
“The names of some of our high-profile clients are on my website. It’s discoverable. We’ve got a public company after all. But I don’t tell anyone my clients’ names. Why would I? I just let the work speak for itself,” said Kelly, boss of an accounting business with 45 partners and 8000 clients, and whose publicly-listed company yesterday recorded a 16 per cent hike in group revenue despite COVID-19 conditions.
You could say he’s the antithesis of other show pony accountants.
Yet with a client list that includes cricketer Brett Lee, singer Tina Arena, league legend Wayne Pearce and broadcaster Ray Hadley — who turned to Kelly after his dealings with former accountant Michael Crismale left him with a $5.7 million tax bill in 2012 — it’s clear Kelly, 46, chairman and CEO of Kelly and Partners chartered accountants, has plenty of celebrities on his books.
In fact, his celebrated connections run deep.
James Packer’s Ellerston Capital was a seed investor in his business, David Gonski — chairman of ANZ and Coca Cola Amatil — is chair of Kelly’s foundation K+P Scholars, and Member for Wentworth Dave Sharma was at one time in charge of government relations at Kelly and Partners.
Just never make the mistake of calling him a celebrity accountant.
HADLEY’S WEDDING MOVED AGAIN
Still with Ray Hadley, a week after the 2GB mornings host reached an out-of-court settlement with former employee Chris Bowen over bullying claims, Hadley is putting the matter behind him and moving forward — to 2021 — when he hopes to be successful, in his fifth attempt (or seventh if you count his first two marriages) in tying the knot.
After initially setting the date for June of this year, Hadley and his fiancee and radio producer partner Sophie Baird, were forced to postpone the nuptials to August, then to September, then October due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Now Hadley and Baird have moved the date to March 27 next year in the hope they can invite more than 100 to witness the event.
“And if we can’t, we’ll move it again,” Hadley said matter-of-factly last week. “So long as Sophie can have the wedding she wants.”