For 16 years, Alex Jones has been a familiar face on The One Show, but as the BBC One programme marks its 20th anniversary, the 49-year-old admits she still struggles to balance work and motherhood.
Mum Guilt and Family Life
“Presenting The One Show is my dream job. I still can’t believe how lucky I am. But something always has to give,” she says. “I always have mum guilt.”
Alex and her husband Charlie Thomson have three children: Teddy, nine, Kit, seven, and four-year-old Annie. She describes feeling like she’s “paddling away furiously under the surface,” but acknowledges that everyone has worries and commitments.
Bedtime and Sleep Struggles
Working on the flagship show means Alex is not home in the evenings. “I don’t do bedtime, but I do take my children to school in the morning,” she says. However, she still sees her little ones after work because “they never sleep through the night.”
She jokes about her daughter Annie’s clever plea: “Mama, I haven’t seen you and you haven’t picked me up from school. I won’t see you until tomorrow.” Alex adds, “If that’s where we are at this stage, who cares? The years go by so fast and I don’t want to rush their childhood.”
Career Highlights and Future Plans
Alex has presented various shows, was a Strictly Come Dancing semi-finalist in 2011, and took part in The Masked Singer this year. She says Strictly was “the best four months of my life” but insists The One Show is her home.
Reflecting on her time on the show, she recalls a “horrendous” Sport Relief challenge in 2014 when she raised £1.2 million climbing a 1,200-ft cliff in Utah. “That was the scariest thing, without a shadow of a doubt,” she says.
With her 50th birthday approaching, Alex plans to celebrate with family and friends. “The only thing that makes me sad is that there will be less time. I’m aiming for 100, so I figure I’m only half way.”
