BBC's Gethin Jones tries next best thing after admitting 'I wasn't good enough'

BBC Morning Live presenter Gethin Jones says his new job is "the next best thing" after he fell short of his dream to compete for his country.

The proud Welshman has been absent from TV screens recently after being granted permission to take a break following his appointment as Team Wales' chef de mission for this summer's Commonwealth Games.

The presenter usually fronts the popular daytime show alongside co-host Helen Skelton but was replaced by a series of stand-ins last week before the show took a break for the Easter holidays. He will return to screens on Monday, April 13, nearly a month after hosting his last show on March 19.

Jones went through a series of gruelling interviews to land the new role and even returned to college to gain the necessary qualifications to help his application.

As a young man he came close to becoming a professional rugby player after having trials with Sale Sharks but ended up joining the presenting team on Blue Peter and forging a successful broadcast career instead.

He admits his new job is a huge personal coup for him after everything he's thrown at it, while it also helps make up for not achieving his sporting dreams.

"It's important to me that people knew I did my work for it, rather than think, 'oh, it's a guy off the telly that might be able to add some value profile-wise'," he told the BBC

"I'm doing this because I'm passionate about it. It's a voluntary role that I've been working hard for the last six, seven years to get.

"Growing up, I wanted to compete for my country. And this feels like the next best thing because I wasn't good enough to do it."

He travelled to Scotland last week alongside his fellow chef de missions from all 74 nations and territories of the Commonwealth for a week of seminars, presentations and workshops, and told WalesOnline that it had been "absolutely fascinating".

"I'm off this week and my boss is incredibly supportive of it," Jones said.

"I think we're off air at the end of July, so it works out unbelievably well (the Games begin on July 23), but after this we'll be looking at the King's Baton Relay and the kit launch as well, which is so exciting.

"It's a real opportunity to see athletes after selection, which is on June 19. We'll really know the team then and that's when my job will really be important, how do we make sure they all come under the umbrella of Team Wales?

"I'm not on the organisational side of things, my role as chef is more ambassadorial, but it's been great to be here to see how it all works and the intricacies," he added.