Alex Jones, presenter of the BBC's The One Show, has revealed that she was too intimidated as a child to express her desire to work in television. Jones, 49, grew up in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, and did not believe a career in broadcasting was attainable for someone from her region.
"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," Jones recalled.
Jones, who has been a host on The One Show since 2010, faced early career setbacks, being dismissed from two television positions after university. Her initial breakthrough came at the age of 21. She reflected on a particular day presenting from Windsor Castle, thinking, "I can't believe that this is what I do for a job."
Although she did not succeed as a TV researcher, her performance in an audition for the BBC's digital channel, BBC Choice, led to her presenting for the Welsh language channel S4C.
The One Show is marking its 20th anniversary this month with a special week of programming.