Alex Jones, the beloved presenter of BBC One's The One Show, has had a career marked by early setbacks and a very public breakup. The 49-year-old broadcaster, a familiar face on British television, launched her career as a television researcher after university but was sacked twice—once for mistaking The Alarm frontman Mike Peters for a tradesman who had arrived to repair the office alarm.
Early Career and Rise to Fame
After her dismissals, Alex secured an on-screen audition at 21. Her first presenting role came with BBC Choice before she moved to Welsh broadcaster S4C. Audiences will recognize her from fronting The One Show on BBC One most weekday evenings, a role she first took on in 2010. Last year, she became emotional when her co-workers marked her 15-year stint on the programme during a live broadcast.
Relationship with Steve Jones
Alex famously dated fellow Welsh presenter Steve Jones from 1999 to 2002 while they both worked on Channel 4's Rise. The former couple have spoken candidly about their romance. During a guest appearance on the Dish podcast with Nick Grimshaw and chef Angela Hartnett, Alex claimed that Steve stole an interview with Angelina Jolie during their relationship. "Normally Rise would call in the morning and ask to come and do an interview or junket. I was staying in his flat at the time when I was working in London and he picked up the landline and said, 'Al's not here. She's not feeling well, she's had to go back to Cardiff'—I was in Topshop. So, he did the interview," she explained.
Breakup on Live Television
Alex revealed that Steve's betrayal was the true cause of their breakup. Speaking on Angela Scanlon's Thanks A Million podcast, she said: "So, I got back to the flat and was like, 'Where is he?' Hours went past, nobody answering their phones. In the end I thought, 'Right, I'm going to drive back to Cardiff because I didn't know where you are, you've probably gone to the pub'. Then the production company called and they were like, 'We've got a bit of a situation. Tomorrow morning, your boyfriend is going to the premiere with Angelina Jolie and it would be really funny if you came on the line, live on the show and surprise him and say you know exactly what he's been up to.'" Alex then added: "So, I said yes. On live telly I'm like, 'You lied to me, where have you been?' So yeah, not surprisingly, we split up on live telly!"
Later Relationships and Marriage
Alex also dated Welsh television presenter Matt Johnson. The couple shared a home in Cardiff for four years but separated shortly before Alex relocated to London to begin her career on The One Show. The star is now happily married to New Zealand insurance broker Charlie Thomson. The pair tied the knot in 2015 and have three children together: Teddy, 9, Kit, 7, and Annie, 4.
The One Show airs weeknights on BBC One at 7pm.
