An Interview With David Jones

Why do you love being a host?

I love the challenge of holding a project together: taking a brief, adapting it to the audience and then bringing it to life. It involves a little journalism, a little presenting and a touch of acting - threads that have run through most of my life. And every event is different!

What’s been your most challenging live hosting experience?

No question the PFA Awards which I've hosted for the last two years. The main part of the evening doesn't start until gone 10pm when the crowd inside the great room at the Grosvenor is well lubricated! The room is an awkward shape so it's a challenge to involve the entire audience - plus it's a TV event so you have to strike a balance between presenting to the live audience and the viewers at home. It's a great thrill when it comes together.

How did you get into presenting?

Right place right time! I trained as a newspaper reporter after my history degree and landed a job at Sky Sports News writing scripts. I progressed to become a reporter then one day I was helping out with screen tests when the bosses decided I should be on camera instead. The rest is history!

Which event has been your favourite, and why?

As a football presenter covering the World Cup in Germany in 2006 was special: the stuff of dreams.

If you could host any event, past or future, what would it be?

I look forward to one day hosting the Ballon D'Or or the FIFA World Cup draw: two events when you know the world is watching!

Who would you most like to share a platform with?

Ant + Dec. As a presenter I watch their shows just to watch them, they are that good. They are so easy to watch because they are so natural together. It would be lovely to feed off that kind of confidence.

What’s your favourite way to spend a Sunday?

I'm always up early on Sunday with my son Oskar. We put some nice music on, have a leisurely family breakfast with the Sunday papers and then make the most of the day. We love getting out together and Sunday is a great day to enjoy London or dip out of the city for a walk in the Surrey hills. And then crucially a very long, very late lunch with best friends enjoying some good food and even better wine! Perfection.

What personal ambition must you fulfill before you die?

How morbid! I've crammed quite a lot into my first 40 years so there would be no great yearning on my deathbed. I've travelled far and wide but the joy I get from family on a daily basis eclipses even the most astonishing sights of Asia and beyond.

Can you leave us with an inspirational quote from yourself or someone that inspires you?

“Smile and the world will smile with you”

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