Steve Jones: Justin Bieber Story Drove Me Out of LA – ‘I Cannot Do This’

Steve Jones has shared that a story assigned to him about pop star Justin Bieber was the “breaking point” that led to his decision to leave showbiz in Los Angeles.

The Welsh TV presenter was a guest on the latest episode of Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver’s popular podcast, Miss Me? During the episode, Jones and Allen discussed their perspectives on the allure of LA versus New York. Allen described LA as “vacuous, soulless, and horrible,” revealing that she felt “haunted” by her past behavior in the city.

Jones, 47, concurred with her assessment but noted there was a part of him that preferred being around “fake happy people” rather than “genuinely miserable people.” He lived in Los Angeles between 2011 and 2012 while hosting the first season of The X Factor USA. However, he chose to leave after a period of reporting for Entertainment Tonight.

“There was a story where I was covering the fact that Justin Bieber had just bought a new mattress,” he recalled. “I thought, ‘I am probably going to kill myself; I cannot do this.'”

Shortly thereafter, Jones asked his then-girlfriend if she would move back with him to the UK. “And here we are, 13 years later, about to celebrate our 10th anniversary next month,” he said.

He credited meeting his wife, US-born food writer and blogger Phylicia Jackson-Jones, as the “one fantastic thing that came out of The X Factor USA.”

“I met her when I was filming, just in a bar in LA,” he continued. “She was there, we started talking, and she moved in with me about six months later.”

In January 2012, Jones announced that he had been dropped as the presenter of The X Factor USA. The following month, he returned to the BBC to host Let’s Dance for Sport Relief.

Since then, he has continued to host various programmes, including Channel 4’s Sex Box and This Morning alongside Josie Gibson. He has also appeared on the panel show Would I Lie to You?.

During his conversation with Allen, Jones also discussed his wife’s struggles with endometriosis, a long-term condition where tissue similar to the lining inside the uterus grows in other places like the ovaries and fallopian tubes. He spoke about the devastating impact it has had on their attempts to have children.

Jones also encouraged Allen to release new music. She hinted at an upcoming project, revealing, “There is something happening in the near future.”

“I’m basically putting something out there,” she said. “But it’s not an album. I hope people like it.”

Jones will return for another episode on Monday, 26 August. Miss Me? airs on Mondays and Thursdays each week on BBC Sounds and is also available on all major streaming platforms.

Source: Independent, BBC Sounds