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]

Alex Jones
Jones in 2008
Born (1977-03-18) 18 March 1977
NationalityWelsh
Alma materAberystwyth University
OccupationTelevision presenter
Height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
TelevisionThe One Show
Let's Dance for Comic Relief
Strictly Come Dancing
Tumble
Close Calls: On Camera
Shop Well for Less?
Spouse(s)
Charlie Thomson
(m. 2015)
Children2

She has also presented Tumble (2014), Close Calls: On Camera (2015–2016) and Shop Well for Less? (2016–present).

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 the Welsh language school Maes yr Yrfa, 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][5]

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.[6][5] 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).[5] Jones developed a speciality presenting Welsh-language children's programmes on S4C, including Hip neu Sgip?[7] and Salon, alongside occasional appearances on mainstream British television, including Channel 4's RI:SE.[5]

Jones presents 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.[5] Jones is a regular co-host on Real Radio GMG in Wales.[8]

On 25 July 2010, Jones was announced as the new female co-host on The One Show, replacing Christine Bleakley.[3][8][9][10] Jones replaced Claudia Winkleman as co-presenter of Let's Dance for Comic Relief during the programme's third series in February 2011.[11] 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.[12] Beginning on 9 August 2014, Jones presented the BBC One gymnastics competition series Tumble[13][14] which ran throughout September 2014.[15]

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.[16] Her professional partner was James Jordan.[17] 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
Revel 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.[18]

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.[19]

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.[20]

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, named Edward Alun Burrell Thomson, although he'll be called Teddy.[21] Later in 2017 Jones suffered a miscarriage.[22]

In December 2018 she announced, live on The One Show, that she was pregnant with her second child.[23] Alex gave birth to a baby boy named Kit,[24] on 13 May 2019 at Queen Charlotte Hospital.[25]

Charity

Jones is a patron for the Kidney Wales Foundation.[26]

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.[27] Jones raised £1,281,476 for the charity appeal.[27] 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.

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.[28][29] 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)
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— 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
Guest appearances
Film
Year Title Role Notes
2016 Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie Cameo appearance

References

  1. BDM Swansea 1977 April–June V27 p2577
  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. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  5. 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.
  6. "Alex Jones on The TV That Made Me". BBC. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  7. Hip Neu Sgip? (2004) Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Internet Movie Database
  8. "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.
  9. "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.
  10. "Alex Jones to join The One Show". Digital Spy. 25 July 2010. Archived from the original on 26 July 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  11. "Let's Dance For Comic Relief axed". The List. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  12. Dantzic, Toby (19 July 2014). "Live at Edinburgh Castle: Scotland celebrates ahead of the Commonwealth Games". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  13. Fletcher, Alex (29 May 2014). "Alex Jones to host new BBC gymnastics reality show Tumble". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  14. "Celebrity line-up revealed for new BBC One Saturday night entertainment show, Tumble". BBC Media Centre. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  15. Wightman, Catriona (14 November 2014). "Tumble axed by BBC One after one series in "difficult decision"". Digital Spy. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  16. "Strictly Come Dancing signs up Lulu and Edwina Currie". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 6 September 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  17. "Alex Jones". Strictly Come Dancing. BBC. 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  18. "Fellowships for Jones and Sheen". Aberystwyth University. 10 July 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  19. "One Show presenter Alex Jones honoured by Gorsedd of the Bards". bbc.co.uk. BBC News. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  20. "Alex Jones 'fan' given restraining order after bombarding One Show presenter with tweets". The Daily Telegraph. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  21. https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/2017030136710/alex-jones-reveals-baby-boy-name/
  22. "Alex Jones hosted show after miscarriage". 31 March 2019 via www.bbc.co.uk.
  23. 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.
  24. "The One Show Presenter Alex Jones Reveals She's Given Birth To Her Second Child". Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  25. Shahid, Sharnaz (20 May 2019). "The One Show's Alex Jones welcomes second child - find out name and gender". Hello!. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  26. "The One Show's Rickshaw Challenge 2012". BBC Children in Need.
  27. "Alex Against the Rock". Sport Relief. Archived from the original on 24 March 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  28. "SportRelief: Hell on high seas". Archived from the original on 18 October 2016.
  29. "BT News".
Preceded by
Christine Bleakley
Co-host of The One Show
2010–present
Succeeded by
Incumbent
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.