Gethin Jones

Gethin Jones
Jones at the Hay Festival in Hay-on-Wye, 31 May 2008
Born	Gethin Clifford Jones (1978-02-12) 12 February 1978 (age 39) Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Occupation	Television presenter
Years active	1990s–present
Television	Presenting: Blue Peter (2005–08) Remembrance Week (2010—) 71 Degrees North (2010) Daybreak (2011-2014) Holding Out for a Hero (2011)
Website	Official website

Gethin Clifford Jones (born 12 February 1978) is a Welsh television presenter. An active rugby union player while at Manchester Metropolitan University and, for a time, after graduation, Jones 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, 2002–05).

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

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, after his father turned down a request for financial assistance and he experienced difficulties trying to play whilst supporting himself as a gym trainer, Jones found that his on-field capabilities suffered. He eventually set aside his plans for a professional rugby career and returned to Wales.