Alex Jones has revealed details about her first experience of heartbreak with her “first proper boyfriend”. Speaking to Vernon Kay on BBC Radio 2, she disclosed how Celine Dion's Think Twice sparked a bittersweet memory. The One Show host revealed she was 19 when she and her first boyfriend travelled to Turkey for a fortnight – but their relationship ended in a way she didn't anticipate.
The holiday that changed everything
She explained: “I was with a lovely boy, my first proper boyfriend and we went on our first big holiday together.”
“And this was big, I was only 19 and we went to Turkey,” the 49-year-old recounted. “And because we were broke, we picked this hotel, the hotel hadn't been finished, the pool was like half done, there were cranes everywhere, it was really bad.”
Despite this, the Welsh host said they “made the most of it” until her now-ex, who she did not name, “started to be very distant”. The broadcaster claimed this was highly uncharacteristic for him, as he was typically “very attentive and lovely”.
A surprising discovery
Concerned about his whereabouts, Alex said she wandered down to the beach to see if she could locate him – only to find him with another man.
“There he was with another boy,” she recalled. After Vernon momentarily paused, appearing taken aback, Alex added: “We didn't see that coming did we.”
She continued: “Anyway, after a big conversation, and he was so lovely about it, he said, 'I don't want this, I just like boys' and I said, 'Well okay, shall we stay anyway for the extra week?'
“And we did and then we broke up when we got back, but I was actually devastated, even though he could never be mine.”
Reflecting on the past
Reflecting on the experience, the mother-of-three revealed that while she was left heartbroken, she held great admiration for his honesty regarding the “difficult” admission. When Vernon asked whether she still keeps in touch, she replied: “I don't but my parents know his parents and they're doing well,” followed by a laugh. She added: “If I saw him now I'd love to have a chat and go, 'Do you remember that mad two weeks in Turkey?'”
Many years later, the BBC presenter met her husband, Charlie Thomson, with whom she has three children. Alex and the New Zealand-born insurance broker first crossed paths in 2011 and tied the knot at Cardiff Castle four years later. Having previously spoken candidly about the early days of their romance, she confessed there were doubts over whether the couple could make things work.
Speaking to Woman and Home magazine, she said: “I feel proud that Charlie and I made our marriage work. We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in Auckland over New Year.
“We spent the week on the beach with the kids and it made me take stock. When we were first dating, there was a question mark over whether he'd go back to New Zealand, but he decided to stay.
“I'm grateful he did that for me and that we're able to raise our children here.”
The One Show continues tonight at 7pm on BBC One.
