Justine Jones, actress and presenter, knew from an early age that performing was something that she always aspired to do. Growing up in the South Wales Valleys, Merthyr Tydfil was her home but at the age of 18 the bright lights of the city came calling.
Justine Jones is an actress and TV presenter and is regularly seen on QVC as Brand Ambassador for Welsh Fashion Designer Julien Macdonald OBE.
The name may be unfamiliar to some, but this rising star is one to watch; So just who is Justine Jones?
Justine started with a love of performing through Ballet and Gymnastics, even being asked to audition for The Royal Ballet School in London at the tender age of 9. Her love of stage performance trickled into her teenage years but at school she never felt like she quite fitted in and struggled with confidence. At the age of 18 she left the Valleys and went off to Manchester University on her quest to find what made her truly happy. з years at Uni and gaining her confidence she left Manchester for London, and this was the moment she found ‘her tribe. Joining a girl band, Justine spent months writing, recording and performing in London, as Justine states: “They were some of the best days of my life, I was living the dream.”
Just as the girls had recorded their first three singles Justine fell pregnant with her first child: “It was a shock but I believe everything happens for a reason and becoming a Mum was mine at that moment, so I returned to Cardiff and had my son Harvey and 17 months later Charlie. I sold one of the songs I had written to a Turkish girl band called Hepsi and the single ‘Kalpsizsin’ (Sneak) has had over 8 million views on You Tube.
Justine’s cousin the incredible Julien Macdonald has remained a constant inspiration. It is Juliens huge international success and positive energy that has kept her attitude of never giving up alive. Both coming from Merthyr Tydfil, the belief of becoming an internationally renowned fashion designer or TV personality felt a million miles away in those early childhood days: “What Julien has accomplished is truly remarkable, a boy from the Valleys in the go’s working alongside Karl Largerfield at Chanel is like a fairytale, he has inspired me so much.”
Having settled with her family in Cardiff Justine’s marriage sadly broke down. Surrounding herself with friends and family and going back to her passion of performing to get her through, she once more found herself doing local theatre and short films to channel her inner creativity that had never left her. Six years ago, Justine received a call came from Julien Macdonad to become Brand Ambassador for his new QVC collection and Justine felt that fire inside once more and hasn’t looked back since. In the last couple of weeks, she has been seen on BBC Morning Live with fellow Welsh presenter Gethin Jones.
In 2019 Justine won Best Actress at BBC Wales ‘Its My Shout Awards.’ She also stars in new Welsh horror movie Protein produced and starring Craig Russell alongside Welsh talent Steve Me (High Hopes) Richard Elis ( The Pact) Charles Dale ( Casualty) Kai Owen (Torchwood) Richard Mylan (Waterloo Road) Gareth John
Bale (Grav) released in March. Justine is currently working on a feature film with Luca Malacrino called ‘A Sanctuary For Water Voles, a comedy that follows an eccentric and quick-tempered Welsh Family as they strive to bury the hatchet during an impromptu family reunion ‘what you don’t confront in life you become the victim of’. We are planning on filming the movie in Wales this summer.
“Life is good, I have never been happier. I may have taken the long road, but I wouldn’t change a thing, I never give up and that’s all that matters.
