A joke from NRL legend Brad Fittler went spectacularly wrong while interviewing Australian Olympic champions Jess and Noemie Fox.
The presenter was joined by the pair on the sidelines of Nine’s coverage of Friday Night Football but smiled as he told them he was waiting for the “kiss cam” to pan to him before starting the interview.
The comment sparked unimpressed reactions from the pair, but Fittler quickly recovered and asked the gold medal-winning duo if they liked the atmosphere in the stadium.
The brief interaction sparked a debate on Twitter over whether the comment was sexist or if people should just “chill out,” with one viewer describing it as “an awkward moment to say the least” and another as “pure misogyny.”
“An attempt at a slow motion interview, a disaster… if you can call it that,” said another.
“It’s creepy,” added a third, to which another commenter argued: “It’s just a joke that wasn’t funny, let’s move on.”
‘That’s it, what’s all the fuss about?’ asked another.
“Everyone calm down. People get offended by the most ridiculous things. For the love of God, get a life!” someone else chimed in.
Penrith fans Jess (left) and Noemi (right) Fox endure an awkward interview with State of Origin legend Brad Fittler at Bluebet Stadium on Friday night
The sisters (Jess on the left and Noemi on the right) are both Olympic gold medalists after the Paris games.
The sisters are huge Penrith fans and visited the Panthers’ training base earlier this week.
Talent runs deep in the family, and now Noemie joins her sister Jessica and mother Myriam as an Olympic gold medal winner following her kayaking performance in Paris.
Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi is a renowned Australian slalom canoeist who enjoyed Olympic success.
She won two bronze medals, one each at the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics, before moving into a successful coaching role, guiding athletes such as her daughters Jessica and Noemie to Olympic glory.
Jess then emerged as Australia’s golden girl, following in her mother’s footsteps with three Olympic gold medals, one silver and two bronze.
Now Noemie has made it a family affair with her first gold medal in Paris, a feat that saw her entire family jump into the water to celebrate with her.
Jessica Fox is pictured after jumping into the water to celebrate with her sister following her stunning win.
Proud parents Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi and Richard Fox are pictured celebrating with Noemie after her stunning kayak cross win in Paris
Jess and Noemie Fox visited Panthers HQ this week to inspire the playing group ahead of the finals (pictured with co-captains Isaah Yeo and Nathan Cleary)
That family contribution at the Olympics now means the Fox family has achieved more at the Games than some of the world’s biggest and most established nations.
If only medals won at the Paris Olympics are counted, the Fox family would be ranked 17th in the Paris medal table, above nations such as Brazil, Belgium, Spain and Switzerland.
Their medal total from all the Games they have competed in is four gold, one silver and four bronze, which would put them 12th in the Paris tally, above New Zealand and below Canada.
After winning gold, Jess said the family could feel the weight of the nation on their shoulders as they lined up for their respective events.
“There was certainly a lot of pressure and a lot of expectations. Add to that the role of flag bearer, and it’s an absolute honour and privilege to play that role and lead our team, but it also brings an extra burden,” she said.
“When I managed to win the kayak race, I felt a huge joy for having achieved it. When I did it in the canoe, it was pure disbelief, an intense emotion, to share it with everyone.”
