4:08pm Wednesday 25th August 2010
By Jemma Humphreys
THEY might have faced mixed reviews but Jason Manford and Alex Jones could be just what The One Show needed if you ask me.
I was never a fan of the sour-faced Adrian Chiles, who looked like he was having about as much fun as a trip to the dentist brings.
Jason Manford, who will return in his stand up capacity to Blackburn’s You Must Be Joking Comedy Festival in November, is like a breath of fresh air for teatime viewing.
And with Alex Jones – a Welsh Christine Bleakley — it’s a winning combination.
The duo raked in 4.5million viewers during their One Show debut.
That’s 1.1million more viewers than their predecessors during their 2007 debut.
They were slick and proved they can both read off an autocue. For a first week it was a promising start and I’m sure their onscreen relationship will improve as the pair get to know each other a bit.
It’s safe to say their chemistry isn’t what you’d call electrifying but they have only just met.
They, or their producers, have already settled on a traditional pattern for the pair — he does the gags, she does the smiling and laughing.
Much as with their predecessors.
Jones and Manford aren’t entirely the same as Chiles and Bleakley, though. They’re like a couple of cooler cousins that have joined the BBC family.
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