George Jones (radio presenter)

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George Jones (born 1941 in Bloomfield, East Belfast) is a Belfast-born musician and former radio and TV presenter. He started in Northern Ireland’s showbands era and helped form the long-running showband Clubsound. He grew up on Greenville Street in east Belfast and went to Elmgrove Primary School. His sister Lally inspired his music. As a teenager he joined the Monarchs with his friend Van Morrison; they toured Europe as the International Monarchs before returning to Belfast.

Jones later moved into comedy cabaret with Clubsound. His first big break in radio came with a Sunday slot on Downtown Radio. He then worked for BBC Northern Ireland and had his own show, Just Jones, on Radio Ulster, which won a Sony Radio Academy Award for best local radio presenter. In June 2006, after 21 years on Just Jones, he was dropped by BBC Radio Ulster; his last afternoon show was on 30 June 2006.

Afterwards, he hosted Sunday mornings on U105 and, from January 2007, a daily afternoon show there. He also hosted Sunday Night on U105, Sunday Sizzler, until early 2012. He then returned to Downtown Radio for a Drivetime show and later hosted a mid‑afternoon daily show. His last Downtown show was on 25 March 2014.

In August 2016, Jones started presenting a show on the internet station Fever40 in Northern Ireland. He has appeared on TV shows such as Town Challenge and Children in Need. In April 2010 he took part in the Irish Comedy Tour Give My Head Peace. He also starred in the Irish musical On Eagles Wing (later On Irish Wings) with Peter Corry.

Jones lives in Greyabbey with his wife, Hilary. They have a son, Jason (Jay) Jones, and a daughter, Natalie.