All-rounder Gethin Jones

 Anyone who is able to run for eight hours lugging 15 kg (33 lbs) on his back is fit.  The Royal Marine 30 Mile Commando Yomp across Dartmoor is seriously tough.  On the other hand, going to Battersea to get all dressed up as a mermaid means you can have a good laugh – especially if you are a bloke. 

These two experiences proved to be beneficial for Gethin Jones when he took part in the contest .  Gethin Jones’ many female admirers were disappointed when he got third position.  He is the participant who carried all his experiences as a Blue Peter presenter to enter the semi-final phase of the competition.  Only the second Welshman to become a presenter for Blue Peter he captured the imagination of the viewers.  Gethin Jones could be accurately described as an action man who can dance. 

 Jones is the son of a Welsh primary school teacher and a Polish violinist.  His musician mother encouraged him to play the violin and piano.  He frequently took part in musicals and was a member of his school’s orchestra.  For his A-levels Jones studied economics, biology and geography.  Jones went on to take geography and economics at Manchester Metropolitan University.  There he attained a 2:2.  All the while Jones was a keen rugby player who showed a lot of talent. 

Gethin Jones began his TV career as a presenter of children’s programs.  Blue Peter according to him was ‘a dream come true’.  This is the show that allows him to take part in many adventure activities.  Jones’ sporty background makes him an ideal candidate for this kind of performance.  One of his career challenges was to learn to fly.  He earned his pilot’s licence in 2004. 

When asked if he had ever been unsuccessful at any challenge issued by Blue Peter his answer was an emphatic no.  This adventurous presenter is willing to take on any challenge.  He did however admit that before Strictly Come Dancing he could not dance.  According to him he was also ‘rubbish at steering a gondola in Venice’ and he definitely cannot ice skate.  This certainly will not lose him any of his adoring female fans.  In 2003 Jones was voted Best Bachelor by Company magazine. 

 Since the end of last year Jones has been spotted out and about on romantic dates with the singer Katherine Jenkins.  They were introduced two years before during a Blue Peter show.  Jenkins had impressed him with her ability to get on with children.  He found her to be completely sincere.  It was the Strictly Come Dancing show that brought the two together again.  Jenkins sang with Andrea Bocelli when Jones was a dance participant.  The two Welsh talents seem to have a lot in common.