The One Show presenter Alex Jones is quietly building a new chapter away from the cameras as she pours time, money and energy into a striking Georgian home in Berkshire, in an area where average house prices hover around £1.3 million.
Alex, who turns 49 today, found the property in summer 2024 after spending four years searching for the right family home. What made the house even more fascinating was its remarkable music history. As she revealed, “John Lennon owned it at one point and so did Ringo Starr.”
Now, nearly two years on, she and her husband Charlie Thomson are still deep in the middle of an extensive renovation project. The property, while full of character, had been altered by its previous elderly owners with what Alex described as a number of “care home chic” features that needed undoing.
In a recent Instagram update, Alex explained that the four-bedroom home no longer feels quite enough for the family’s plans. “As the house is four bedrooms, we need an extra one for guests to stay, so we’re planning on an annexe in the garden,” she said. She added that the extra space could also be a lifeline during the toughest part of the work, giving them somewhere to stay “when the going gets tough with the main build.”
Despite the scale of the renovation, Alex has made it clear that the house had the right foundations from the very beginning. “We need to do a lot of work but the bones of the house are lovely,” she told The Times.
The location is just as eye-catching as the property itself. Nearby Sunningdale is one of the most desirable areas in the region, with homes fetching an average of almost £1.3 million. Detached houses have reportedly sold for an average of more than £2.4 million, while semi-detached properties have reached over £630,000.
One of the most surprising details in the story is that Alex bought the house before Charlie had even seen it. At the time, he was away in New Zealand visiting family. Recalling the moment, she said: “When Charlie got back, I said, ‘Listen, I’ve sort of bought a house so we better go and see it.’ Luckily he loved it immediately. It felt like home when we walked in.”
Whether the build will move any faster this year remains to be seen, especially as rumours continue to swirl about Alex potentially being lined up for a bigger TV role. She has reportedly been linked to a possible hosting shake-up on Strictly Come Dancing, alongside names including Sara Cox, Mel Giedroyc and Zoe Ball.
Still, Alex seems determined not to rush this project. Looking back at the renovation of their former home in Chiswick, she admitted past mistakes taught them to slow down. “We got really overexcited last time, did it all in a bit of a rush and then had to redo parts. Sometimes people put too much pressure on themselves to move in and get it all sorted,” she said. She added: “We only want to do it once, and we want to get it right.”
The Georgian property’s large mature garden was one of the first things that won her over, and she now wants to turn it into a more peaceful yet practical outdoor space. Inside, she is also bringing back original character, including restoring a fireplace in the playroom that had been hidden for years. “I love how cosy the space is, but I do think we need to lighten it up a little,” she said.
Alex has also thrown herself into planning the interiors with mood boards and scrapbooks, something she says helps shape the vision for the home. “I find the process of scrapbooking so handy as a starting point for a new project,” she explained.
Looking back on her previous home project, she said: “Ahead of our new renovation project I’ve been looking through my last scrapbook from our old house and it’s really lovely to see how many ideas made it into the real things. My absolute favourite thing to do is to browse through interior magazines. My friends and I often share them and I gratefully receive all their old copies so that I can chop them up and use them as inspiration.”
For Alex, the creative process is about more than just décor. “Scrapbooking is a great way to get the creative juices flowing,” she said.
Away from the house project, family life remains at the heart of everything. Alex and Charlie, who met at a party in 2011, share three children, including their youngest daughter Annie, who was born in 2021. The renovation comes after a challenging period for Charlie, who has battled serious health problems including Lyme disease and viral meningitis.
Speaking previously about his recovery, Alex said: “He’s in a way better place now to where we were a year ago, but diet has played a huge part in that,” before adding, “We always eat relatively well but he’s quite into nutrition.”
Alex has also spoken openly about her own motivation to stay healthy for the sake of her children, saying: “I think what drives me is the fact that we have got three young children, and I feel, for them, I need to do the best to preserve myself.”
