Alex Jones, the beloved Welsh presenter, has shared memories of her first day hosting BBC's The One Show, a role she has held for 16 years. She replaced Adrian Chiles and Christine Lampard, who had left the show.
First Show Nerves
Speaking to Radio Times, Jones admitted she wasn't scared: "Weirdly, I didn't think the first show was that scary." She added, "There was a lot of chat around it because Adrian [Chiles] and Christine [Lampard], who were brilliant, had left the show."
Her first celebrity guest was American actress Whoopi Goldberg, an experience she described as "amazing."
Childhood Dream
Jones, who grew up in Carmarthenshire, south Wales, recently revealed she was "too scared" as a young girl to voice her ambition to work in television. She said: "When I was a little girl growing up in south Wales, I thought I'd like to be a presenter, but I was too scared to say anything because nobody in south Wales became broadcasters, especially not on national television."
Reflecting on a day presenting from Windsor Castle, she told RTE: "I really thought about that little girl that day and thought, 'I can't believe that this is what I do for a job'."
Career Beginnings
At age 21, a producer asked her to audition in front of the camera, leading to work on BBC Choice and the Welsh-language channel S4C.
Looking Ahead
As The One Show approaches its 20th anniversary, Jones credits its success to "variety." She said: "It's nice for the audience to switch on at 7pm and see these guests from the latest blockbusters side by side with a beautiful nature VT or the 500 Words writing competition. Its appeal is wide because of the variety and the content. It's content-rich and a show that's crafted so carefully."
She added: "I think it'll always have a place because it's a really solid place to start the evening."
The One Show airs weekdays from 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
