Tony Jones’ brutally awkward apology after Steve Johnson sledge

Veteran reporter Tony Jones wanted to apologise to AFL great Steve Johnson for a slip of the tongue, but things quickly got awkward.

Veteran sports reporter Tony Jones has been forced to apologise to Sydney Swans assistant coach Steve Johnson after accidentally sledging the former Geelong star.

In a recent interview, Jones mistakenly called Johnson by the wrong name, referring to the 36-year-old as “Stewey Dew”.

In actuality, Stuart Dew is the current head coach of the Gold Coast Suns, but did serve as a Swans assistant coach from 2010 to 2017, hence the confusion.

On Channel 9’s Sunday Footy Show, Essendon great Matthew Lloyd confirmed “Stevie was very upset about what happened,” seemingly because Dew has a larger figure.

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Steve Johnson and Stuart Dew.

Jones attempted to reassure Johnson the taunt was unintentional in the lead-up to a follow-up interview this week. Even though the Channel 9 presenter wanted Johnson to “get over it”, he regardless offered an explanation for the slip of the tongue.

“I haven’t spoken to you since that night,” Jones began.

“Mate, that was not intentional whatsoever, okay? I was under duress.”

Johnson coldly replied: “Righto. I’ll take your word for it.”

Jones elaborated: “I’m deadly serious. I was drugged to the eyeball because of this tooth infection I had. So mate, I guarantee it was not intentional.”

Again, Johnson’s response was frosty: “All right, no worries.”

Jones persisted: “You don’t sound convinced.”

Johnson conceded: “I thought you might have been a bit smart, but if you’re willing to come and say that’s what it was, I’ll accept that.

“I’m not that big, am I?”

Jones put the icing on the cake with arguably the most awkward response possible: “No, not now. You’ve been exercising.”

Remember when TJ called Stevie Johnson Stewy Dew?

Well, TJ tried to apologise to the Swans assistant, but Stevie wasn't having it 😂#9AFLSFS | Watch @channel9 pic.twitter.com/aat6HL9K3V

— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) June 28, 2020

Jones was adamant the two were now on good terms again, although the other Sunday Footy Show panellists completely disagreed.

Unfortunately, this was not the 58-year-old’s first uncomfortable encounter on national television — he was involved in an excruciatingly awkward exchange with Today Show stars in November last year.

Jones also infamously attempted to give Rebecca Judd a farewell kiss live on air in 2016.