BBC presenter Alex Jones has made a startlingly honest admission about her long-running role on The One Show, confessing she frequently feels 'replaceable' despite her tenure.
The Maternity Leave Anxiety
Jones, who joined the popular BBC One programme in 2010, revealed that her deepest fears surfaced when she took maternity leave in 2017 while pregnant with her first child. Speaking on the Great Company podcast with Jamie Laing, the Welsh broadcaster described having an 'absolute meltdown' at the prospect of stepping away.
'I felt secure in my job, but I had an absolute meltdown when I went off for maternity, thinking 'Oh s***',' she shared. 'I love my job and I really respect it and appreciate it, and I'm grateful for it, and I thought, 'Oh my God, they're going to get someone in and that'll be it, I'll never be seen again'.'
She explained that it was a difficult decision to temporarily leave a job she loved, haunted by the concern that she would be permanently forgotten or replaced by another presenter.
A Persistent Feeling of Insecurity
Despite reassurances from her colleagues and bosses on the show, Jones confessed that the feeling of being expendable has never fully left her, even now, 15 years after first landing the role.
'I still feel replaceable, all the time, even though, bless them, they go to great lengths all the time to say, 'But you're not',' she stated. This lingering insecurity drives her to consistently bring her 'A game' to every broadcast.
When questioned about why she remains on the programme after so many years, Jones has a simple answer: she is not bored. 'People ask, 'Why are you still there?' And I say, 'Well I'm not bored'. I still feel like I need to prove myself and you only need to leave when you feel like you're done,' she responded.
Juggling Family and a Coveted Career
The conversation also touched upon her personal life, where Jones previously disclosed on Loose Women that she was labelled a 'geriatric' mother after having her first child at the age of 38. She has since called for a change in the language used to describe older mothers.
Jones, who found her husband Charlie Thomson at 34, always prioritised starting a family. The couple now have three children together. She praised the BBC for being 'fantastic' during her maternity leave but admitted to experiencing 'paranoia' about her career.
'If you like your job and respect your job, you still feel a little bit insecure because if you enjoy it, you want to keep it and it's a very difficult thing because you want a family as well,' she explained, describing the ongoing challenge as a 'balancing act'.
Alex Jones continues to present The One Show, most recently returning to the sofa on November 20 alongside co-host Roman Kemp.
