Fifteen to ONE

Queen of the sofa ALEX JONES on marking a special milestone

- REBECCA FLETCHER

THE ONE SHOW

LIVE MON-FRI, 7PM (REGIONS VARY), BBC1 FACTUAL

Alex Jones will never forget her first time at the helm of much-loved weekday magazine programme The One Show. As if presenting live in front of millions of viewers wasn't nerve-racking enough, her premiere guest was Oscar-winning Hollywood acting legend Whoopi Goldberg - who just happened to be her idol...

'I was obsessed with her 1990 film Ghost, so I was like, "Oh my goodness, it's Whoopi Goldberg!"' the bubbly broadcaster, 48, exclusively tells TV Times when we ask her to recall memories of her debut appearance alongside co-host Jason Manford on 16 August 2010.

'Suddenly there I was, seven o'clock on BBC1, and here comes Whoopi Goldberg and I have to explain, "This is my first-ever live show - I'm so sorry." But Whoopi was like, "It's gonna be great" - and it was! Instead of getting nervous, I thought, "No, I'm going to enjoy it because I probably won't be here for very long - and I love Ghost, so let's go!"'

Alex clearly did something right, as fast-forward 15 years and the former Welsh children's TV presenter is still perched on the famous One Show sofa, chatting to the world's biggest stars and unsung heroes as well as reporting on the stories that have got Britain talking.

Ahead of a special edition on Friday 8 August celebrating her magical milestone, Alex shares with us her standout moments, and reveals what the future holds... Congratulations on 15 years of hosting The One Show, Alex. How does it feel?