Iconic Brit with 40 albums that sold over 10m who you can book for wed | UK | News

For many people, child stardom can be a burden rather than a blessing. Once the angelic looks and endearing charm are lost, abundant job opportunities can disappear as well.

Not so for Welsh singer Aled Jones. Nearly 40 years after the “angel”-voiced kid delighted the world with his chilling rendition of Walking in the Air, he’s still as busy as ever.

Now 54, happily married and a father of two, Aled has had an extraordinary and varied career over the last four decades, singing for both the Pope and the Royal Family. From recording artist, TV and radio presenter, author and recently certified Celebrant (more to follow), is there no end to this Welsh warbler’s wizardry?

“It was my radio dad, Terry Wogan, who told me the secret to lasting success was to spread yourself thin,” he chuckled. “That way it’ll be harder for people to get rid of you.”

We speak as Aled takes a break from rehearsals for West End Christmas favorite Elf: The Musical, in which he plays Buddy’s father Walter Hobbs. She learns to tap dance and adds a new one to her already full talents.
“Dancing is really hard,” he admits. “I’m 54 now – but I’ve got a few more weeks until we open!”

It’s clear he’s very happy to be back on stage. Her last West End show was five years ago. “It was White Christmas and I had 13-14 songs to sing, so it was great not being the lead and having the pressure to carry on the show,” he smiles.
“I’m really enjoying being back in theatre, but if I had to choose my favorite thing about my career, it would be singing, no doubt. Music has always been my greatest pleasure.”

Aled has released over 40 albums with sales of over 10 million units; He has over 40 Silver, Gold and Platinum Discs to his name to date.

A recorded rendition of the song You Raise Me Up, performed by artists including Irish boy band Westlife and American singer Josh Grobin, led to his appearance at the final celebration, which he described as “one of the most satisfying and nerve-wracking roles of my life”.

“It all started when someone in the funeral business told me that my version of the song was the most requested song in crematoriums in the UK,” he explains. “This statement touched me deeply.

“I only trained last year and haven’t done any funerals yet, just a few weddings in pubs or luxury hotels but yes, you can hire Aled Jones for your wedding or funeral!”

Many fans, of course, still know him as the main presenter of the BBC’s Songs of Praise programme. He also has the most listened to radio show on Classic FM on Sunday mornings. And now he’s diversifying his strengths once again with the release of a new book, Aled’s Book of Abundance for 2026.

“Blessings, whether spiritual, religious, or good wishes from others, play an important role in our lives by offering peace, protection, and positivity,” she explains. “Despite all our technological advances, abundance remains as important today as ever. In a fast-paced world filled with uncertainty and stress, it provides emotional strength, moral guidance, and a sense of spiritual connection.”

The book includes a blessing for each day of the year, organized into monthly chapters, all researched and collected by Aled.

Each month begins with an introduction about a piece of music that has personal significance in Aled’s life and its composer, so there are plenty of biographical details and anecdotes here for fans. He starts with the famous child prodigy Mozart before moving on to Handel.

“While many people think Walking on Air started it all for me, it was actually Handel’s oratorio,” he says. “I was 12 and booked to sing a small part of Angel in a production at St David’s Hall in Cardiff. I was living in North Wales at the time and had never been to Cardiff.

“I would be sharing the stage with some very prominent classical singers and we would all be accompanied by the BBC Wales Symphony Orchestra and conducted by the legendary Sir Neville Marriner.
“The gig was also broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. So no pressure! To be fair, I was the easiest part!”

The book is based on Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, which has been at the top of the Classic FM Hall of Fame list for three years in a row. “The book is for people of all faiths and non-beliefs,” he says. “It’s about being grateful and accepting that there is something greater than ourselves in the world, whether it be God, nature, or science, depending on your own beliefs.”
Bach, Fauré, Elgar, Ireland, Bernstein, Dvorak, Vaughan Williams, Mathias and Wesley are other composers included in the book.

In the Bach chapter, Aled writes: “Unlike Bach (who had 20 children), I was lucky to have very supportive parents.
“It’s fair to say that my mother spoiled me immensely and I’m so grateful to have a strong family foundation that allowed me to go and do my thing; knowing that I had their unwavering support and love helped me get through what could have been a very difficult time.
“My parents gave up a lot of their free time because of my heavy workload.”

Aled said he admitted that when he was young he was “desperate to reach the bright lights of London”. He now enjoys return visits to North Wales to visit his parents and the “slow and gentle pace of life” there.

In fact, Aled’s strong family foundation and Christian faith push him to “count my blessings more and more as I get older.”

He even included some of these in speeches he wrote as a celebratory.

Looking back on his career, he describes himself as “lucky” but also “extremely hard-working.” St. Paul’s Church in Bangor, Caernarfonshire. He was born at David’s Hospital, the only child of Nest Rowlands, a teacher, and Derek John Jones, a shipbuilder’s draftsman. He grew up in the small Welsh-speaking community of Llandegfan on Anglesey.

He joined the Bangor Cathedral choir at the age of nine and within two years became principal soloist, but never became a chorister. A record company signed him after a member of the congregation wrote him a letter informing him of his unique and beautiful singing voice.

His rendition of Walking in the Air reached number five in the UK singles chart when Aled was 15 in 1985, but he said fame never went to his head.

“From Monday to Friday, I was a normal kid with a dodgy haircut in special education school,” he laughs. “Then I was going to sing all over the world for the weekend. I had very supportive parents and I was really grateful for the opportunities. The only pressure I felt was people asking ‘what happens when your voice breaks?’ was that he kept saying. But this is a normal thing that happens to everyone. “None of the other opportunities such as presenting, writing and acting would have come my way if I didn’t sing, so I will always be grateful for that.”

Today, he lives in London with his wife of nearly 25 years, Claire Fossett, and has two grown children, Emilia and Lucas, who are both in their 20s.

They and music are the pillars of his life. “Music has always been a guiding force for me, and I hope these insights inspire people to discover these timeless works for themselves.” We are grateful enough for that.

• Aled’s Book of Blessings 2026 (Hodder & Stoughton, £16.00) is out now; Elf: The Musical is at the Aldwych Theater from 28 October to 3 January 2026. For tickets visit elflondon.com; Aled is supporting Classic FM’s charity Global’s Make Some Noise for a Walking in the Air campaign with Penguin. For more information, visit: classicfm.com