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The One Show's Alex Jones recalls dumping ex live on TV over Angelina Jolie betrayal

Alex Jones hosts 'The One Show' which has been giving viewers tips on how to get through lockdown. (Ray Burmiston/BBC)
Alex Jones has just announced the arrival of her third child with husband Charlie Thomson. (Ray Burmiston/BBC)

The One Show’s Alex Jones has relived the moment she dumped an ex-boyfriend live on TV over an interview with Angelina Jolie.

The beloved Welsh presenter, who has just announced the arrival of her third child with husband Charlie Thomson, appeared on Angela Scanlon’s Thanks A Million podcast to talk about life and love.

During the chat, Jones revealed that a former boyfriend – who she didn't name – swooped in and stole the opportunity to interview Angelina Jolie from her during her early years as a presenter.

Read more: The One Show's Alex Jones admits: I thought my time for having children had passed

She said: “[My boyfriend at the time] moved to London and started working in London. So did I – I was recruited, believe it or not, on a show called RI:SE, which I don’t know whether you remember. It was a breakfast show on Channel 4 and I became the entertainment correspondent.

Alex Jones on The One Show. (BBC)
Alex Jones on The One Show. (BBC)

“I did all these junkets with film stars. So every Thursday I would come to London and then I would do Thursday and Friday with them and stay for the weekend. I must have been about 25 by this point…

“One day I was in Topshop on Oxford Street and the production company who made the show called the flat were we lived essentially and said we need to speak to Alex. Angelina Jolie is available for an interview and we need her to come and do it now.

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“And he said, ‘Oh, Alex is ill and she actually in Wales, but I could come.’ So off he went, I’m still in Topshop, unbeknown to me, buying cheap jeans and shoes.

“And so I got back to the flat and was like, where is he? Hours went past, nobody answering their phones and in the end thought, right, I’m going to drive back to Cardiff, because I don’t know where you are, you’ve probably gone to the pub.”

LONDON - DECEMBER 22: Welsh television presenters Steve Jones and Alex Jones, wearing a Red Nose Day 2013 nose and t-shirt for Red Nose Day 2013, in the studio on 22 December, 2012 in London. (Photo by Gary Moyes/Comic Relief/Getty Images)
Steve Jones and Alex Jones wearing Red Nose Day noses in 2013. (Gary Moyes/Comic Relief/Getty Images)

She was mortified when she discovered the truth – and the production team at Channel 4 offered her the chance to get even.

“The production company called, and they were like, ‘We’ve got 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 said that you know exactly what he’s been up to.’

“So again, I said yes. So on live telly, I’m like, ‘You lied to me, where have you been?' So yeah, not surprisingly, we split up live on telly!’”

Read more: Alex Jones welcomes new baby

Despite acknowledging she "can laugh about it now", Jones admitted that she found the incident the start of a "dark period" of her life, as she struggled to handle the betrayal.

However, thankfully she’s come out stronger – and now even thinks the ex is worth thanking for the harsh lesson she learned.

Alex Jones has said she and husband Charlie Thomson won't be having any more children. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Alex Jones and husband Charlie Thomson, with whom she has three children. (David M Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

She said: “I’ve had really nice boyfriends and a really nice husband, but I’m grateful because I needed that experience and I thought, when I got myself together, I’m going to have a successful career, I’m going to work really hard and I think it was a real turning point for me.

“It taught me a lot about being in love with the wrong person and about how it can really damage you and damage your confidence.

“And I built myself back up and I thought, ‘I’m going to be a grown-up from now on, I’m going to do things properly, I’m going to work at my career and from then on, it started feeling a lot more stable.”

Read more: Jermaine Jenas reveals he's expecting another baby with wife Ellie Penfold

While she didn't confirm her ex’s identity, Welsh presenter Steve Jones — who is now best known for Channel 4’s Formula One coverage — got his breakthrough job at T4 in 2003, shortly after he was seen interviewing Angelina on the short-lived RI:SE.

He confirmed at the end of that year that he had split from Jones and was “being a good boy and focusing on his career”.

He’s now married to model Phylicia Jackson, and despite their split, both Alex and Steve worked together on Let's Dance For Comic Relief in 2013.

Watch: The One Show's Alex Jones in tears after Tom Jones talks about honouring late wife