'It would be awful if I hated Christmas!'

Singer Aled Jones on the festive season and his new book

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Aled Jones has been synonymous with Christmas ever since his beautiful rendition of Walking in the Air, from the animated film The Snowman, reached number five in the festive charts in 1985.

It has become one of the best-loved Christmas songs of all time, while Aled has continued his singing career, alongside being an in-demand presenter and stage star.

He is forever grateful to the song that changed his life, aged 14, and admits it meant he enjoyed a very different childhood to the one he expected. 'I remember leaving my house in Anglesey, North Wales, to go to school each morning. I'd hop on my bike with a jam sandwich in my pocket and Mum would always say to me, “See you at teatime.”

Then The Snowman came along and I started living a dual existence. I'd be at school with my mates doing double Geography one day, living as normal a life as possible, and then I'd be travelling the world singing in exciting places. I was a young boy with a bad haircut, and yet I was performing at The Hollywood Bowl, The Vatican and for royalty. Goodness me, how many people can say that?'

Does he ever get tired of hearing the much-loved classic? 'Absolutely not. I must have heard the song millions of times and I love it. If I'm out shopping, I'll hear Slade or Sir Cliff Richard playing and know that I'll be on very soon.