In his spare time Johnson sang in a band (Dresden) claiming to have the best voice among the top players of his era. Johnson was an early influence on, and friend of, the late snooker player Paul Hunter. Johnson has established himself as a regular commentator for Eurosport. In December 2013 John Higgins was quoted as saying in reference to Johnson: "I heard before the tournament 2013 UK Championship Joe Johnson was slating me. If that guy isn't the worst commentator in the world, he's in the top three".