BBC star Gethin Jones has piqued fans’ interest due to his personal life
Gethin Jones is a cherished personality on British television, with his personal and love life captivating fans over the years. The 48-year-old former Blue Peter presenter now hosts Morning Live on the BBC alongside Michelle Ackerley and Helen Skelton, who Jones has been romantically linked to in the past.
Born in Cardiff, the star is a former Rugby player. He’s also been involved in charity work over the years, participating in Rugby Aid and a 24-hour ‘Skate-a-thon’ for Comic Relief.
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! All the best sports news and much more on our dedicated Facebook page
Appearances on Strictly Come Dancing and a previous engagement to an opera sensation have further boosted his profile. Mirror Sport delves deeper into Jones, his private life and his recent comments on romance.
Break up from famous fiancee
Whilst competing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2007, Jones met opera sensation Katherine Jenkins, who was a guest on the show. A relationship quickly developed, and four years later, they were engaged.
However, they parted ways at the end of 2011. Both admitted in their social media announcements that the decision left them heartbroken.
READ MORE: Gethin Jones shares concern for Morning Live co-star after injury ‘shame’READ MORE: Massive Six Nations stadium left to rot is being brought back to life in £415m project
During her tours, Jenkins confessed the split left her “in pieces” and feeling like a “total mess”. In an interview on the Mirror’s ‘Outdoor Minds’ podcast, Jones also acknowledged the break-up had a significant impact.
“I remember doing BBC Radio 5Live and going into the toilet at 5.30am, going, ‘All right. Come on. Just focus for the next three hours, and then you can go back to being sad again.’ I definitely had a bad bout of depression during that time,” he said. Jenkins subsequently married American director Andrew Levitas and had two children.
Helen Skelton rumours
The popular TV and radio personality was romantically linked with Jones in 2024, with the pair reportedly enjoying dates at a luxury spa.
Skelton, 42, separated from rugby player Richie Myler in 2022, who is the father of her children. Speculation was widespread about a potential romance after the duo were photographed together at the Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards in 2024, leaning into one another on the red carpet.
However, Skelton, who recently relocated to her native Cumbria to live on her parents’ dairy farm, insisted there was no budding romance with Jones.
“We just work together, we are not together. No, no, no. We are just work friends,” she said. “They printed pictures of us at work and that we’re together because we are at work together.”
The pair have been friends for years and colleagues for just as long. Last year, they took part in Gethin and Helen’s Wheely Big Challenge – a 24-hour roller-skating challenge in aid of Comic Relief. Jones opened up on their close friendship, saying: “What’s different this time is that we have each other. We’re best friends. We’re very honest with one another.”
Jones has openly spoken about his alleged romance with Helen. The presenter was interviewing Christine McGuinness about her Situationships podcast.
When author Sophie Gravia and McGuiness were discussing their own relationships and love affairs, one mentioned being single for a prolonged period, to which Gethin quickly interjected with “join the club”, seemingly confirming his single status.
Little-known sports career
Jones used to play for Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd, a side who were all fluent in Welsh. Inspired by Welsh greats Robert Jones and Scotty Gibbs, the presenter was a scrum half.
In an interview with the Rugby Journal, Jones explained why he quit rugby after previously having trials with Sale Sharks in Manchester, saying: “I nearly turned professional”.
“I quit rugby for Blue Peter. I probably finished playing too young. It was 12th April 2004, and I remember that because I went back and played for Clwb Rygbi, and we won the district cup final at the Principality Stadium in front of about 5,000.
“It was special, and every year there’s an anniversary where we all bring our tankers that we won in that match to drink out of.
“I was 26 and that was around the time I started television [Jones joined Blue Peter the year after from Welsh television] and so had to quit rugby, not because I was worried about getting smashed up, it was just the nature of the job to travel all the time so never being able to train or be available for matches.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
