In the summer of 2024, after searching for four years, Alex Jones, host of The One Show, found a Georgian house near Tittenhurst Park in Berkshire with a rich history in the entertainment industry. She mentioned that both John Lennon and Ringo Starr had owned the property at different times.
Two years later, Alex and her husband, Charlie Thomson, are still working on renovating the house, which had been modified with elderly-friendly features that she described as “care home chic.”
Celebrating her 49th birthday today, Alex shared on Instagram that since the house has four bedrooms, they plan to build an annexe in the garden for guests to stay. She mentioned that having a separate annexe could also serve as a retreat during challenging times in the main renovation process.
Talking to The Times, Alex expressed her excitement about the renovation project, highlighting the attractive location of the house, where neighboring properties in Sunningdale have an average price of almost £1.3 million.
The average price for detached homes sold in the area was £2,449,895, with semi-detached properties fetching £630,571.
Alex confessed that she bought the house impulsively without her husband seeing it first, as he was in New Zealand visiting family when she made the decision. Fortunately, when Charlie returned, he loved the house immediately, feeling like it was home when they walked in.
There is uncertainty about whether Alex will have time to focus on the renovation this year, as rumors swirl about her potentially joining Strictly Come Dancing as a host in the upcoming season.
Speculation suggests that Alex, along with Sara Cox, Mel Giedroyc, and Zoe Ball, could be in line for the hosting role to inject new energy into the show by introducing a third host.
Despite the renovation challenges, Alex emphasized the importance of meticulous planning before starting any construction work, citing their previous experience in Chiswick where rushing led to redoing parts of the project.
In an interview with Homebuilding & Renovating magazine, Alex stressed their goal of doing the renovation right the first time, learning from past mistakes and taking a careful approach.
Beyond renovation tasks, Alex plans to revamp the expansive garden of the Georgian property into a more serene and functional outdoor space.
She is also uncovering and restoring period features in the house, such as a hidden fireplace in the playroom that adds coziness but requires lightening up, according to her vision.
To guide the interior design process, Alex has created a mood board, finding scrapbooking helpful as a starting point for new projects. She enjoys browsing interior magazines for inspiration and finds scrapbooking therapeutic for boosting creativity.
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