Gethin Jones' little-known past as BBC announce new job in major show shake-up | Wales Online

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TV presenter Gethin Jones has landed a big new BBC job, with the announcement he will be a new co-host alongside Alexander Armstrong on hit quiz show Pointless.

The Morning Live presenter will be one of a few well-known faces to take on the role previously held by Richard Osman when the new series airs in the coming weeks, with Angela Rippon, Trevor Nelson, Judi Love, Tom Allen and Angela Scanlon also appearing.

Jones said: "It's become one of the most famous chairs on television, and I've ALWAYS wanted to know what is actually on that laptop! It's the perfect scenario, playing along but knowing all the answers... or least the best of the right answers! I will be excellent at Welsh pronunciations; Alexander will have the rest covered."

While Jones' TV career is going from strength to strength, he actually has a little-known sporting past as a rugby player that almost led him down a very different path. Indeed, when it comes to any quiz questions on the sport, he's likely to already know all the answers.

"I was always a bit of a rugby statto. I probably still am a bit of a rugby anorak," he told Rugby Journal.

"I used to love getting all the old programmes and learning all the heights and weights of the players and regurgitating them to friends. I've no idea why! I'm an absolute nause, I've got some rugby-player friends and they avoid me when I start talking about stats and stuff to them when they're the ones actually living the game.

He will also take on a new sporting role next year after being called up to be part of Team Wales at the 2026 Commonwealth Games

Jones' personal life has also made headlines over the years, with a rumoured relationship with co-presenter Helen Skelton recently the subject of headlines. He was also famously engaged to Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins.

Jones might be recognised for his upbeat personality on television, but there was once a period when he was a brave scrum-half who would plunge into tackles.

He previously represented Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd, a team comprised entirely of Welsh speakers. Drawing inspiration from Welsh legends Robert Jones and Scott Gibbs, the TV host was a talented number nine.

In an interview with the Rugby Journal, Jones revealed why he abandoned rugby after previously having trials with Sale Sharks in Manchester, stating: "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 tankards 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."

Despite forging a tremendously successful television career, Jones confessed he yearned for the sport, having not participated since 2011.

"I miss smashing people legally," he said. "I know that sounds weird, but you do need a bit of a release which is why the gym is still important to me. And also, everyone says this, but there's this special friendship that you have with people.

"My final match was back in 2011. When the Rest of the World took on England at The Stoop. I bagged celebrity man of the match and I've been boasting about it ever since. Rory Lawson and myself were both at scrum-half and I managed nine minutes on the pitch, stepped around a prop forward, and it appeared impressive on television. Celebrity man of the match - how embarrassing is that!?".

As one might expect, Jones has rubbed shoulders with numerous celebrities, many of whom he considers friends. However, it's only the sports stars he's met that have left him truly starstruck - with former Welsh centre Scott Gibbs being the first to elicit such a reaction.

He now counts Gibbs among his good friends and once shared a story about their initial meeting leading to a night filled with drinks. "In my job I'm never starstruck, except for sports people. The first person I probably met was Scott Gibbs," he revealed.

"I remember when Warren Gatland took over in 2008 and we hadn't beaten England at Twickenham for however many years. I was on a table [at Twickenham] with Lawrence Dallaglio and my hero Scott Gibbs, and Lawrence said 'I think you boys could do it today, but hold on, why aren't you two drinking?'. Next thing we know, Wales have won, it's 3.30am, I'm stumbling around Richmond arm-in-arm with Gibbsy, my all-time hero, that was pretty special."

Jones is also chums with the likes of Jamie Roberts, Jon Davies and his university best mate is Danny Scarbrough.

During the Coronavirus lockdowns, he even shared his flat with Welsh and British and Irish Lions winger George North.

"He {George] had an issue with his flat because of flooding and I needed someone to stay in my flat, so him, his wife Becky, their son Jack and two sausage dogs moved in," he recounted at the time.

"It was incredible seeing the discipline of George every day. The faff of recovery, we all go to the gym and do a few stretches and think we're done, so when you see what a professional rugby player has to do... Even when we're watching box sets, he'd be in a game-ready suit stretching while I'm there eating chocolate buttons. Then there's the diet too, the discipline to eat, when and what, especially when he's a dad as well, so not always having the sleep."