David Jones: 'Sky Sports studio is a lion's den and I'm the lion tamer'
David Jones is in the hot seat for Sky Sports this Christmas. RadioTimes.com spoke exclusively to the man tasked with taming their all-star line-up of pundits
David Jones, 45, self-professed lion tamer.
The Sky Sports football presenter often finds himself flanked by fierce and fearsome characters with tensions simmering under the surface, opinions ready to boil over, from Jose Mourinho and Roy Keane to the usual suspects, Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville.
It's a thankless task, being asked to find the sweet spot between heated entertainment and all-out war in the studio, but Jones effortlessly manages to keep the pack moving along before, during and after each game.
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He has his work cut out at Christmas with Sky Sports showing 46 live games over the festive period including Premier League, Football League and Scottish Premiership action.
Jones will feature heavily throughout December alongside his all-star crop of pundits.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Jones said: "It's like a lion's den, and I'm the lion tamer.
"With all these guys, if you throw in Jose Mourinho, Graeme Souness and Roy Keane, they all have quite similar personalities.
"They all have a huge amount of self-confidence, all have a real aura about them.
"It's almost like having three male lions in the pack, not really going for each other, just sussing each other out over time.
"It's my job really to try and illicit those personalities, that's how I see my role.
"It takes a certain type of character to be a presenter on Super Sunday with those personalities.
"No one is interested in what I think about anything, I'm very comfortable with that, but my role is to hunt the story down."
Jones is a regular presence between Carragher and Neville on Monday Night Football and the trio will feature heavily throughout Sky Sports' bumper list of Christmas fixtures.
He lifted the lid on what life is like before the camera flickers into life, saying: "Sometimes it's like working with naughty schoolboys and you have to play the role of strict teacher.
"On those Monday Night Football days, which can be quite long days in the office from 9:30am till 11:00pm, you need to have down-time and laughter.
"They bring chaos, but they bring laughter as well.
"I did the first game Gary ever did with us – an England international against Wales. He and Ryan Giggs were thrown into the studio with me and I was a very wet behind the ears presenter.
"The thing that struck me first was that I'd ask him a question and he wouldn't just throw back a standard response, he'd always really take the time to consider what he was being asked and come up with a coherent opinion.
"Jamie was the same. The first time I met him on this side of the fence was on Saturday Night Football when we had a live studio audience.
"It could be quite nerve-wracking for newbies, but he came in and it was like ice was running through his veins. He was so cool, calm, collected and very deliberate in what he offered.
"A while after that I worked with them both together – I think their relationship has grown and developed in the time they've been together, almost five years now."
Check out the full list of Christmas football fixtures on Sky Sports
Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
