Alex Jones (Welsh presenter)

Charlotte Alexandra Jones[1] (born 18 March 1977)[2] is a Welsh television presenter, best known for co-presenting the BBC One magazine programme The One Show.[3][4] She presented Tumble (2014), Close Calls: On Camera (2015–2016) and Shop Well for Less? (2016–2020).

Alex Jones
Jones in 2008
Born
Charlotte Alexandra Jones

(1977-03-18) 18 March 1977
Alma materAberystwyth University
OccupationTelevision presenter
Years active1998—present
EmployerBBC
TelevisionThe One Show
Let's Dance for Comic Relief
Strictly Come Dancing
Tumble
Close Calls: On Camera
Shop Well for Less?
Height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Spouse
Charlie Thomson
(m. 2015)
Children3

Early life

Jones was born in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire,[1] to Mary and Alun Jones, and has a younger sister, Jennie. Her first language at home was English, but Jones was educated at Maes-yr-Yrfa, a Welsh language school,[5] and is fluent in Welsh. After training as a ballet dancer as a child,[3] Jones studied theatre, film and television at the Aberystwyth University, sitting her final exams in Magaluf, Spain, while appearing as a contestant on the first series of Sky1 show Prickly Heat.[3][6]

Career

Jones became a television researcher after leaving university, but was sacked twice, once for mistaking Mike Peters from the band The Alarm for a workman who had come to fix the office alarm. She was asked by a producer at Avanti productions to audition in front of the camera at age 21.[7][6] Her first presenting job was for BBC Choice, and she then joined S4C as a presenter on the singing programme Cân i Gymru (A Song for Wales).[6] Jones developed a speciality presenting Welsh-language children's programmes on S4C, including Hip neu Sgip?[8] and Salon, alongside occasional appearances on mainstream British television, including Channel 4's RI:SE.[6]

Jones presented travel show Tocyn (Ticket) on S4C with Aled Samuel, the extreme sports show Chwa, and was part of the crew on Jonathan Davies's Welsh-language rugby show Jonathan for the 2010 Six Nations Championship.[6] Jones was a regular co-host on Real Radio GMG in Wales.[9]

On 25 July 2010, Jones was announced as the new female co-host on The One Show, replacing Christine Bleakley.[3][9][10][11] Jones replaced Claudia Winkleman as co-presenter of Let's Dance for Comic Relief during the programme's third series in February 2011.[12] She also was part of the BBC team for The Royal Wedding 2011 on 29 April 2011, reporting from Kate Middleton's home town. Jones also presented the United Kingdom's points in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011.

Since 2012, Jones, along with Matt Baker and John Inverdale has co-hosted The Sport Relief Games Show, live coverage of the Sport Relief games that afternoon.

On 19 July 2014, Jones hosted the Live at Edinburgh Castle concert event on BBC One.[13] Beginning on 9 August 2014, Jones presented the BBC One gymnastics competition series Tumble[14][15] which ran throughout September 2014.[16]

In 2015, Jones began presenting the daytime series Close Calls: On Camera for BBC One and in 2016 she began co-hosting the BBC series Shop Well for Less? alongside Steph McGovern. In September 2016 she fronted a one-off documentary Alex Jones – Fertility and Me for BBC One. She also presented The Secrets in My Family, a primetime documentary series for UKTV's W channel.

Strictly Come Dancing

Jones competed in the ninth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2011.[17] Her professional partner was James Jordan.[18] Jones and Jordan were eliminated a week before the final, and finished 5th overall in the competition.

Strictly Come Dancing performances
Week # Dance/Song Judges' scores Result
Horwood Goodman Dixon Tonioli Total
1 Cha-Cha-Cha / "When Love Takes Over" 4 6 6 6 22 N/A (no public vote)
2 Foxtrot / "Have You Met Miss Jones?" 6 8 7 8 29 Safe
3 Viennese Waltz / "Memory" 8 8 8 8 32 Safe
4 Rumba / "Run" 4 7 7 7 25 Safe
5 Paso Doble / "Bring Me to Life" 7 8 8 8 31 Safe
6 Quickstep / "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" 7 8 8 8 31 Safe
7 Jive / "River Deep, Mountain High" 7 8 8 8 31 Safe
8 Tango / "Relax (song)" 8 9 9 9 35 Safe
9 Charleston / "Me and My Baby" 6 7 8 8 29 Safe
10 American Smooth / "Oh, Pretty Woman" 8 8 9 9 34 Safe
11 Waltz / "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" 7 9 9 9 34 N/A
11 Salsa / "1–2–3" 7 8 8 8 31 Eliminated

Personal life

On 10 July 2012, Jones became a Fellow of Aberystwyth University.[19]

Jones was appointed as a member of the Gorsedd of the Bards during a ceremony at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Meifod, Powys, in August 2015; honoured for her contribution to Welsh culture.[20]

In February 2016, Jones was granted a restraining order against a homeless man who sent her vulgar tweets and turned up at her workplace, claiming to be in love with her. He was banned from contacting Jones and her family.[21]

On 2 September 2016, Jones announced via Twitter that she and her husband were expecting their first child; her last appearance on The One Show before her maternity leave was on 6 January 2017. On 26 January 2017, Jones announced via a live telephone call to The One Show that she had given birth to a baby boy.[22] Later that year, Jones suffered a miscarriage.[23]

In December 2018 she announced, live on The One Show, that she was pregnant with her second child.[24] Jones gave birth to a baby boy[25] on 13 May 2019 at Queen Charlotte Hospital.[26]

In March 2021 Jones announced on BBC's The One Show, that she was pregnant with her third child.[27] On 24 August 2021, it was announced that Jones had given birth to a baby girl on 21 August.[28]

Charity

Jones is a patron for the Kidney Wales Foundation.[29]

From 18 to 20 March 2014, Jones participated in the Sport Relief appeal by being dragged up the 1,200 ft Moonlight Buttress in Zion National Park, Utah in the US by climber Andy Kirkpatrick.[30] Jones raised £1,281,476 for the charity appeal.[30] Coverage of the challenge was shown on The One Show and in a 30-minute film which aired on 23 March 2014 on BBC One called Alex Against the Rock for Sport Relief.[31]

From 7–11 March 2016, Jones took part in her second challenge for Sport Relief, called 'Hell on High Seas', in which she, along with five other celebrities: Suzi Perry, Doon Mackichan, Angellica Bell, Hal Cruttenden and Ore Oduba sailed 1,000 miles from Belfast to London.[32] During the Sport Relief telethon, it was announced the team had raised £1,062,868.

Filmography

Television
Year Title Role Channel Notes
1998 Prickly Heat Contestant Sky One Appeared before becoming famous
2010— The One Show Co-presenter BBC One with Matt Baker (2011–2020)
with Jermaine Jenas (2021–)
with Ronan Keating (2021–)
with Roman Kemp (2023–)
2011–2013 Let's Dance for Comic/Sport Relief With Steve Jones
2011 Strictly Come Dancing Participant
2012, 2014, 2016 The Sport Relief Games Show Co-presenter With Matt Baker
2014 Live from Edinburgh Castle Presenter One-off TV special
Tumble Saturday night show
2015–2016 Close Calls: On Camera Presenter Daytime series
2016—2018 Shop Well For Less? Co-presenter With Steph McGovern
2016 Alex Jones – Fertility and Me Presenter One-off documentary
2017— The Secrets in My Family Presenter W
2018 Make Wales Happy Co-presenter BBC One Wales With Jason Mohammad
2018 The Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Guest presenter BBC One
2020 The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off Contestant Channel 4
2022 Invictus Games Co-presenter BBC One With JJ Chalmers[33]
2023 Making Babies Presenter W Ten-part series[34]
Saturday Kitchen Guest presenter BBC One Two episodes[35][36]
Reunion Hotel Presenter Five-part series[37]
Guest appearances
Film
Year Title Role Notes
2016 Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie Cameo appearance

References

  1. BDM Swansea 1977 April–June V27 p. 2577
  2. Her birthday was mentioned on an episode of The One Show dated 19 March 2014
  3. James Robinson (25 July 2010). "Alex Jones to replace Christine Bleakley on The One Show". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 July 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  4. "Talking to Alex Jones –Cymru – Tocyn – Dysgu ar S4C". S4C. 24 March 2010. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  5. Mainwaring, Rachel (12 February 2010). "Alex Jones: My decade on Welsh TV". WalesOnline. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  6. Rachel Mainwaring (12 February 2010). "Alex Jones: My decade on Welsh TV". Western Mail. Archived from the original on 28 July 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
  7. "Alex Jones on The TV That Made Me". BBC. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  8. Hip Neu Sgip? (2004) Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Internet Movie Database
  9. "Alex Jones gets top spot on The One Show sofa". Western Mail. 25 July 2010. Archived from the original on 27 July 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  10. "Welsh TV host Alex Jones named new One Show presenter". BBC News. 25 July 2010. Archived from the original on 26 July 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  11. "Alex Jones to join The One Show". Digital Spy. 25 July 2010. Archived from the original on 26 July 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  12. "Let's Dance For Comic Relief axed". The List. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  13. Dantzic, Toby (19 July 2014). "Live at Edinburgh Castle: Scotland celebrates ahead of the Commonwealth Games". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  14. Fletcher, Alex (29 May 2014). "Alex Jones to host new BBC gymnastics reality show Tumble". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  15. "Celebrity line-up revealed for new BBC One Saturday night entertainment show, Tumble". BBC Media Centre. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  16. Wightman, Catriona (14 November 2014). "Tumble axed by BBC One after one series in "difficult decision"". Digital Spy. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  17. "Strictly Come Dancing signs up Lulu and Edwina Currie". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 6 September 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  18. "Alex Jones". Strictly Come Dancing. BBC. 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  19. "Fellowships for Jones and Sheen". Aberystwyth University. 10 July 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  20. "One Show presenter Alex Jones honoured by Gorsedd of the Bards". bbc.co.uk. BBC News. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  21. "Alex Jones 'fan' given restraining order after bombarding One Show presenter with tweets". The Daily Telegraph. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  22. "Alex Jones has revealed her baby boy's name!". HELLO!. 1 March 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  23. "Alex Jones hosted show after miscarriage". BBC News. 31 March 2019.
  24. sanusi, victoria (11 December 2018). "Alex Jones announces she is pregnant with second baby live on The One Show". inews.co.uk. inews.co.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  25. "The One Show Presenter Alex Jones Reveals She's Given Birth To Her Second Child". 21 May 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  26. Shahid, Sharnaz (20 May 2019). "The One Show's Alex Jones welcomes second child - find out name and gender". Hello!. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  27. "Alex Jones reveals baby daughter's name while breastfeeding live on 'The One Show'". uk.style.yahoo.com. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  28. "Alex Jones: One Show host has baby daughter". BBC News. 24 August 2021.
  29. "The One Show's Rickshaw Challenge 2012". BBC Children in Need.
  30. "Alex Against the Rock". Sport Relief. Archived from the original on 24 March 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  31. Webb, Claire (19 March 2014). "Alex Jones on training for her Sport Relief challenge: 'I can't say I massively enjoyed it. At all'". Radio Times. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  32. "SportRelief: Hell on high seas". Archived from the original on 18 October 2016.
  33. "Invictus Games". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  34. "Alex Jones shares long-awaited baby-related news with fans". hellomagazine.com. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  35. "Saturday Kitchen". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  36. "Saturday Kitchen". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  37. "Alex Jones launches new series Reunion Hotel at special screening". bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
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