Alex Jones admits she felt like a ‘failure’ amid her husband Charlie Thomson’s debilitating depression battle

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Alex Jones shared that she felt like she was failing while her husband, Charlie Thomson, struggled with severe depression.

The 48-year-old TV star, who previously discussed her son Charlie’s mental health struggles, offered tips on Thursday for helping a partner who is dealing with depression.

On Jamie Laing’s podcast, she explained that it’s important to avoid judging others, something she personally struggled with. She admitted she often had to stop herself from urging people to simply ‘get out there’ and do things like go for a walk or have a drink.

That’s absurd. This person was clearly unable to even get up, much less get dressed and go out for a drink. I simply didn’t realize that, and that was my mistake.

She explained that she wouldn’t abandon their agreement. They had promised to always confront challenges directly, rather than avoid them.

Life is full of both joyful and challenging moments – it’s a natural cycle of ups and downs.

The mom of three admitted she still struggles with knowing the best course of action, but she understands the situation much better now than before.

She explained that when someone is struggling with addiction, it’s important to remember it’s the illness talking, not the person themselves. She admitted that even if she encountered this situation with a loved one again, she wasn’t sure she’d react perfectly, but she now has a much better understanding of the disease than she used to.

The host of BBC One’s Welsh program shared that insurance broker Charlie’s mental health rapidly declined after a severe illness involving Lyme Disease and viral meningitis.

In a 2023 interview with The Midpoint podcast, she revealed that her partner has been struggling with his mental health and they recently went through a difficult time.

Charlie used to be a lot of fun, but he really struggled with his health and it took a toll on his mental state. He declined quickly and wasn’t himself anymore.

I felt helpless again, thinking, “What am I supposed to do?” It’s easy to say we’ll help others, but do we really know how?

They first met at a party in 2011 and got married in 2015. They then welcomed three children: Teddy, who is seven, Kit, five, and Annie, two years old.

Alex explained that while Charlie is experiencing ups and downs, there was a period when she barely knew her usually cheerful and lively husband.

On the How to Fail podcast, she explained she feared she was drifting apart from someone she cared about. She wasn’t worried about a permanent loss, but rather felt a sense of distance, wondering where he was and why she couldn’t connect with him.

‘I was looking at him and I’m thinking “I’m looking and hearing somebody who’s not my husband”.’

During the interview, Alex also discussed her experience on the 90s dating show Prickly Heat, filmed in Magaluf, recalling that casual intimacy was common among the contestants.

The presenter of The One Show was a contestant on a Sky television series from 1998, hosted by Davina McCall and Julian Clary. At the time, Alex was a 21-year-old student at Aberystwyth University, studying theatre, film, and television.

Surprisingly, after the show’s daring challenges and a lively boat party, host Davina went above and beyond by helping a contestant take her exams – she even volunteered to supervise them.

Alex explained to Jamie Laing on his podcast that she had to fit studying in around filming after successfully requesting her exam papers be sent to her while she was away.

She explained that she’d been a contestant on a dating show filmed in Magaluf, hosted by Davina and Julian Clary.

It was a rash nicknamed ‘Prickly Heat’ that affected around 40 young people, aged roughly 19 to 23, while they were vacationing in Magaluf. It was a time of widespread sexual activity and generally good times.

Jamie wondered if Davina recalled something. Davina responded with excitement, saying she absolutely did – she’d actually completed her final university exams while on holiday in Magaluf.

The university initially refused to allow me to take my final exams in Magaluf, but I pleaded with them. Eventually, they agreed and sent my exam papers there, with Davina acting as the exam supervisor.

Alex had a stressful experience the day before her exam. Someone reportedly took her study materials and threw them into the ocean.

You know, something really touched me during our conversation with Alex. She shared that Davina went above and beyond for the contestants – after the show, she sent each of them a handwritten card with a personal message! Alex still treasures hers, and honestly, it’s those little gestures that really make a difference, don’t they? It just shows how much Davina cared.

Often seen as an early version of shows like Love Island, Prickly Heat featured contestants living together in a holiday villa and competing in different challenges.

Alex first gained recognition on reality television and has since become a well-known figure in the entertainment world. She’s particularly famous for hosting The One Show, a role she’s held since 2010 when she replaced Christine Lampard.

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2025-11-21 21:37