Alex Jones reveals the 10 life lessons that led to her success

The One Show host Alex Jones reveals all.

BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE AND GRAFT!

I always put a lot of pressure on myself to do as good a job as I can. I’m super-critical, maybe too critical, but as long as I’ve tried my best every day, then if there comes a time when I’m not in a job anymore it won’t be my own fault.

I can look back and think I gave it my best shot. People usually think it’s about luck in the media it’s not, it’s about hard graft.

DO WHAT YOU LOVE

I think my mum especially gave me the confidence to do a job I’d enjoy. She lost her mum when she was 15. She was left in charge of her younger brother who was only eight at the time as my grandfather was running his own business and was never home.

So she didn’t get to do what she wanted. She took a cashier’s job in a bank and worked there until she retired last year as a manager.

She made the best of it but while she said it had been fine, she never loved it so she pushed me to do something I’d truly love.

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GRAN KNOWS BEST

My gran Eileen is a very wise lady, although she maybe doesn’t give that impression as she’s flighty, funny and a champion yodeller.

She and my grandfather Denzil were a right double act, but we sadly lost him at the end of March.

Since then I’ve seen a whole new side to her. I think with him she was playing the part of the hilarious sidekick but now there’s a more sensitive side.

We’ve had a lot of honest chats about things we haven’t spoken about before.

I’m about to get married (Charlie is an insurance broker from New Zealand) and she asked me whether I was really sure. If the worst happened could we just live with each other and nothing else? I’ve learned such a lot from her recently.

CHERISH YOUR ELDERS

My gran and grandfather were together for 68 years and it was so, so hard when he died. As an adult I’d never lost anyone close and it was a real wake-up call for me to make the most of your grandparents.

They give you a different perspective from your parents on a lot of issues and the time you have with them is so special.

I feel that I always did my best to see them and being on TV they could see me every day, which not many grandparents can say.

My granddad was a very clever man and his influence was so felt that I really believe you have to cherish the time you have.

YOU CAN OVERCOME

I was very shy as a child and my mum’s support helped me through. People always assume you have to be quite “out there” and confident to appear in front of millions every night. But that’s not true.

I know it sounds weird but I’m still shy in some situations I don’t like crowded rooms one little bit. The way I approach what I do is tell myself I’m speaking to a very small group of friends whom I know very well. It’s just a conversation albeit a one-sided conversation in a small room to just one camera.

OPPOSITES ATTRACT

Charlie and I are so completely the opposite of each other it’s unbelievable. I’m go, go, go and he’s slow, slow, slow.

When I’m stressed out over the most ridiculously small things he’ll say: “You know Al, it’s not the end of the world. We can do it tomorrow.”

And when things are piling up for him I can help him prioritise to get through it.

COMPROMISE IN LOVE

Charlie and I do have widely different opinions on big stuff but we’ve learned to compromise and show patience.

He’s from New Zealand and still has a travel bug. So, he’ll want to take a six-month sabbatical whereby I tell him that we’re adults now and it’s time to sort the house and have children.

And while I went to a comprehensive he went to a private school and thinks that’s the way forward. I disagree.

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The older you get the more essential friends become. They’re the ones you turn to for advice and you can measure everything by them.

I’ve a very tight-knit group of girls I’ve been friends with since school and that will never change.

I was recently with them on a hen night in Marbella which was slightly horrendous, but fun.

Care for them and be the best friend you can and they’ll be brilliant friends to you.

LOOK AFTER THE PENNIES

I did the classic thing the same as anyone at university store and credit cards and it all gets a bit too much.

But I got rid of them and paid my student loan off and I’m Captain Sensible with money now.

It might be nice to get a car or a deposit for a house but my mum and dad didn’t believe in that.

So my sister and I have had to do it for ourselves and I think you appreciate things more.

I’m lucky that I have a good wage at the minute but I’m very well aware that can change.

So I don’t squander it, don’t spend what I don’t have and save for a rainy day because you don’t know what’s round the corner.

GIVE OUT GOOD KARMA

My parents taught me to treat everybody the way you want to be treated and I strongly believe that.

The person on work experience can be your boss in five years and, anyway, it really is karma.

If you’re not nice to people then bad things will happen to you.

Being pleasant and having good manners is simple but it goes a long way.

I’m trusting with people too because I don’t feel I have anything to hide.

The more dishonest you are about certain things, the more tangled a web you create and the more complicated things get.

So, if you’re straightforward you can be trusting.