Watch the excruciating moment Channel Nine NRL presenter Brad Fittler makes an awkward joke about KISSING  Olympic hero sisters Jess and Noemie Fox – and their reaction says it all

A joke from NRL legend Brad Fittler has spectacularly fallen flat while interviewing Australian Olympic champions Jess and Noemie Fox. 

The presenter was joined by the pair on the sidelines for Nine’s coverage of Friday Night Football but grinned as he told them he was waiting for the ‘kiss cam’ to focus on him before he started the interview. 

The comment drew unimpressed reactions from the pair with Jess turning away and Fittler querying ‘no?’ before he quickly recovered by asking the gold medal-winning duo if they liked the atmosphere at the stadium.

The brief interaction sparked a debate on Twitter over whether the comment was sexist or if people should just ‘lighten up’, with one viewer describing it as ‘an awkward moment to say the least’ and another as ‘pure misogyny’.

‘Slow motion train wreck of an attempted interview… if it could be called that,’ another said.

‘Creepy,’ added a third, to which another commenter argued: ‘It’s just banter that wasn’t funny, move on.’

‘That’s it, what’s the fuss?’ another questioned. 

‘Would everyone here settle down. People are getting offended at the most ridiculous things! For the love of God, get a life,’ someone else chimed in.

The sisters (Jess left and Noemi right) are both Olympics gold medallist following the Paris games

Fittler, regarded as one of the game’s greatest players, played 336 games for the Panthers and Roosters as well as dozens of appearances the NSW and Australian sides.

The 52-year-old is married to Marie Liarris and the pair have two children.

The former Blues coach ran into controversy in 2009 when he fined himself $10,000 after two women at a Townsville hotel called police because ‘a man with a hairy chest’ was loitering outside their room.

Police arrived at 3.15am to find Fittler, who’d spent the earlier part of the evening enjoying a few drinks, still sitting outside their door. 

Brad Fittler and partner Marie Liarris at Sydney Town Hall for the NRL Dally M Awards in September 2002 

The Fox sisters are huge Penrith fans – where Fittler made his first grade debut – and visited the Panthers’ training base earlier this week. 

Talent runs deep in Fox family, with Noemie now joining her sister Jessica and mother Myriam as an Olympic gold medal winner after her performance in the kayaking in Paris.

Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi is a renowned Australian slalom canoeist in her own right who enjoyed Olympic success. 

She won two bronze medals, one each at the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics before transitioning 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, a silver and two bronze.

Now Noemie has made it a family affair with her maiden gold medal in Paris, a feat that saw her entire family leap into the water to celebrate with her.

Jessica Fox is pictured after jumping into the water to celebrate with her sister after her stunning victory

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 have achieved more at the Games than some of the biggest and most established nations in the world. 

If you only count medals won at the Paris Olympics, the Fox family would sit in equal 17th place on the Paris medal tally, above nations including Brazil, Belgium, Spain and Switzerland. 

Their combined medal tally from all the Games they’ve competed in is four gold, one silver and four bronze, which would put them in 12th position on the Paris tally, above New Zealand and below Canada.

After their gold wins, Jess said the family could feel the weight of the nation on their shoulders when they lined up for their respective events. 

‘There was definitely a lot of pressure, a lot of expectation. Add in the flag bearer role – that’s an absolute honour and privilege to be in that role and to lead our team – but with that also comes an extra layer,’ she said.

‘When I managed to win the kayak race, there was so much joy in that moment, to finally achieve that. When I did it for the canoe, it was just disbelief – intense emotion, sharing that with everyone.’