Gethin Jones: Why does Morning Live presenter have Commonwealth pole vault conundrum?

Jones has found himself awake at night pondering Games logistics and says he has become a bore when talking to friends and colleagues about such matters.

But Glasgow 2026 has come to unashamedly dominate his thoughts.

He has spent the past nine months getting to know athletes and their stories, and meeting many of them so they understand he’s more than just ‘that fella off the telly’.

And he has had to explain to countless people what a chef de mission actually is. “My nephew thinks I’m making lunch for the team,” says Jones.

“And when I sat on Morning Live and announced it, the actual chef made a similar joke, but the point is that the audience – who are maybe not into sport – now know what a chef de mission is and suddenly the reach is wider.

“The thing is, you don’t have to love sport to love the Commonwealth Games.

“If you look at mainstream entertainment now, whether that’s Strictly Come Dancing or X Factor or whatever, I’m not sure you’re in it for the dancing or the singing, but you’re definitely in it for the human stories, aren’t you?”

Jones knows how to tell those stories better than most. And he knows the Games, too.

He was a paying punter in Birmingham four years ago, has studied the history of the event and has spoken to countless athletes – big names and otherwise – to try to get to the nub of why the Games matter. Every day brings a new answer.

“Even this morning, I was trying to explain it to the chef de missions from the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos,” he says. “And I don’t think they quite understood the difference between competing for Wales and for GB.

“I feel like I’m representing my country. Beyond that part, a lot of these guys can’t put into words what it’s like to compete for Wales. But people at home will look out for the red vest, and be invested. And that’s a really special thing.”