Gethin Jones

Gethin Clifford Jones (born 12 February 1978) is a Welsh television presenter.

Jones was born on 12 February 1978 in Cardiff, the son of Sylvia (née Groskop), a violin teacher, and Goronwy Jones, headteacher of Baden Powell Primary School.

He has an older sister, Mererid.

One of his maternal great-grandfathers was a Polish-Jewish immigrant.

With Welsh as his first language, he attended Ysgol Gynradd Coed-y-Gof and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf (in Llandaff North, Cardiff) for his primary and secondary school education, respectively.

Jones has Grade 8 violin and Grade 6 piano qualifications, and took part in school musicals and school and county orchestras.

He took Biology, Geography and Economics at A-Levels.

Jones had dual interests throughout school.

His mother wanted him to develop his musical talents, while he enjoyed rugby union.

While studying Economics and Geography at Manchester Metropolitan University where he gained a 2:2, he was captain of the university's rugby first team and played in the Lancashire under-21 team.

At the age of 21 in his final year, Jones was offered trials by Sale RFC.

However, he was not good enough, and he eventually set aside his plans for a professional rugby career and returned to Wales.

Prior to his television career, Jones worked as a bank clerk, a telephone hotline officer and as a research assistant and spent three months as a builder laying house foundations.

He was an active rugby union player while at Manchester Metropolitan University and, after graduation, he began his television career on Welsh language channel S4C as a presenter of children's programmes such as Popty, Mas Draw and the flagship children's entertainment show Uned 5 (Unit 5, 2002–2005).

He subsequently joined Welsh channel S4C as a presenter of children's programmes such as Popty (the Welsh equivalent of Top of the Pops), Mas Draw, and the flagship children's entertainment show Uned 5 (2002–05).

In 2003, Jones was voted Bachelor of the Year by the readers of Company magazine.

In 2004, as part of a challenge on the show, he learned how to fly a plane and gained his pilot's licence.

Jones has been a presenter for a number of major live telecasts, including Mardi Gras in Cardiff in front of 40,000 people, Y Briodas Fawr (The Big Wedding, 2004–2005), and Jones Jones Jones (2006) at Cardiff's Wales Millennium Centre where the world record was broken for the biggest gathering of people with the same surname.

In 2005, Jones became the 31st presenter of BBC children's programme Blue Peter.

On 26 April 2005, Jones became a presenter of the children's television series, Blue Peter.

He auditioned on the same day as co-presenter Zöe Salmon.

During his time, Jones presented the show with Salmon, Konnie Huq, Matt Baker, Liz Barker and Andy Akinwolere.

As a presenter, he took on the action/adventure role filled by John Noakes and Peter Duncan in the past; highlights included flying with the Red Arrows and in a World War II Supermarine Spitfire, completing submarine escape training with the Royal Navy, surviving the Bolivian jungle, being attacked by an alligator in Louisiana.

learning to race like a jockey, and fighting as a samurai warrior in Japan.

In 2006, Jones became the second civilian to finish the Royal Marine Commando 30 mi Yomp – he finished in a time of eight hours and 20 minutes.

He also played the violin at the Proms with the BBC Philharmonic.

He co-presented the 2006, 2007 and 2008 New Year's Eve programme New Year Live on BBC One with various other presenters.

On 12 February 2008, on his 30th birthday, Jones and his Blue Peter co-presenters climbed the highest peaks in each constituent country of the United Kingdom, starting with Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland, followed by Snowdon in North Wales.

The following day, having travelled overnight by coach to the Lake District, they climbed Scafell Pike.

They were then to be transported to Scotland by helicopter to climb Ben Nevis, but were unable to do so because of problems with the helicopter, forcing them to land in Oban.

They succeeded in climbing the mountain the next day.

This challenge was in aid of Sport Relief 2008.

Jones announced on 8 April 2008 on Blue Peter that after three and half years with the show, he would be leaving at the end of the current series in June.

His spokeswoman said he had always planned to leave when he turned 30.

Jones said, "I've had a career on Blue Peter that you wouldn't even dream about and for that I feel privileged and fortunate. ... I've loved it, lived it ... and now I feel the time is right to leave it."

On 16 February 2008, Jones began presenting a new 15-minute programme entitled E24 on BBC News with James Dagwell.

Between 4 and 11 May 2008, Jones was the narrator and presenter of the 2008 BBC Young Musician of the Year.

The biennial music competition was held at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff, and broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Four.

In 2020, he began presenting the BBC1 five-mornings-a-week magazine show Morning Live, broadcast from studios in Manchester.

After a trial run ending in December 2020, the success of the programme has seen it commissioned as an all-year-round part of the BBC1 schedule.