Alex Jones, host of The One Show, provided an update on her husband Charlie Thomson’s health during a podcast interview with Gabby Logan on Midpoint. The conversation covered various topics, including Alex’s experience balancing work and motherhood, her family’s lifestyle, and her love for nature.
Amidst the lighthearted anecdotes, Gabby asked Alex about their approach to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. She stated, “We are here now in this mid-life period with more written about than ever before about longevity and how to live your healthiest life, if you eat well, if you don’t drink too much alcohol, if you exercise, how are you doing on all those pillars?”
In response, Alex emphasized her motivation to prioritize her health due to their three young children. She said, “Well, 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. Mum and dad have always been healthy, growing up we’ve always eaten a balanced diet, but more so, Charlie and I are focused on that.”
The discussion then turned to Charlie’s health, prompting Gabby to inquire about his current condition. Alex reassured her, saying, “He’s good, yes. He’s in a way better place now to where we were a year ago, but diet has played a huge part in that. We always eat relatively well, but he’s quite into nutrition.”
Curious about the changes Charlie made to their diet, Gabby asked Alex for more details. Alex explained, “I think it was a way for him as well to fill his days in a sense when he wasn’t feeling well. And he decided to take on this kind of role of, right well we’ve got the medication, but I’m going to see what else I can do to help myself. He used to be a chef, so cooking and food is very much something he loves and it brings him a lot of joy. I’m very lucky he cooks most meals, but we eat really well.”
She further elaborated on their diet, stating, “Lots of pulses, lots of greens, lots of vegetables, and this thing that was news to me that five to 10 a day isn’t enough, it’s the variety, eat the rainbow, I say it on a loop to my children.”
Alex jokingly added, “Charlie makes all their meals, which is brilliant, so they eat really well. Don’t get me wrong, Annie was having sugar at six months, Ted didn’t even see sugar until he was three.”
Earlier in the year, Alex appeared on the How To Fail With Elizabeth Day podcast, where she shared the challenges they faced during a “really bad period” when Charlie battled both Lyme disease and viral meningitis, affecting his mental health. Alex expressed her concern during that time, saying, “I thought I was losing him, not actually losing him, but I thought oh my God where is he? I can’t see him, I was looking at him and thinking I’m looking and hearing somebody who is not my husband.”
Throughout the podcast episode, Alex also discussed their family’s affinity for nature. She revealed that they enjoy simple activities such as feeding ducks, going on bike rides, and visiting lavender fields. Alex described her husband, who is from New Zealand, as a “planet warrior,” and mentioned that their family chooses to spend their holidays in Wales to offset their carbon footprint from flying.
Expressing her admiration for the UK, particularly Pembrokeshire, Alex said, “In the right weather, there is nowhere like the UK in general; we’ve got so many brilliant places. We are really spoilt.” She emphasized the importance of holidays for their mental health, stating, “It’s holidays that I remember growing up, so as long as we get away with it, that’s what we do, and I think it helps us and our own mental health. It’s that, eating healthy, a bit of exercise.”
