Once Aled Jones was best-known for his childhood hit song Walking In The Air from The Snowman, but that was then. Nowadays, there’s barely a day when hard-working Aled is off the telly in one of his many presenting jobs with either Songs of Praise, Cash In The Attic, Escape to the Country or ITV’s big-hitter, Weekend.

With a busy homelife and two children to add into the mix with his wife of 13 years, Claire, Kent fans are lucky that Aled has managed to find the time to appear in concert here this week! His new show, Songs of Hope and Inspiration, include songs from next month’s new album, The Heart Of It All, and from his upcoming stage role in White Christmas.

What’s On managed to catch up with Aled during a rare quiet moment to get the lowdown on the whole lot.

How have you picked the songs for the Margate show, Songs of Hope and inspiration – are they ones you’ve personally found inspiring, or the ones your fans request?

“A bit of both. I’ve got a new album coming out in November [The Heart Of It All] that’s quite folk-ey in feel, so there will be six or seven songs that people have never heard me sing before. A couple are brand new songs and a couple are new to me. There are also songs from the musical I’m doing at Christmas [White Christmas at the Dominion Theatre], I’ll be singing a couple of ballads including a beautiful piece called Count Your Blessings, which is stunning. Some of the old favourites like You Raise Me Up, I’d get killed if I didn’t do!”

Which are the ones most special to you in testing times?

“Count Your Blessings by Irving Berlin. It’s so lovely, just such a beautiful song. Other than that, I do like You Raise Me Up, Morning Has Broken and all the songs that have been with me since childhood. We all go through those times don’t we, and it’s amazing how music really makes a difference. It can help us to grieve, it can also change a mood from being lousy to being incredibly happy. I’ve always been aware of the power of music and music of all kinds, not just pop or classical. You can find hope and inspiration in an Andy Williams song, you can find it in Irving Berlin and you can find it in Mozart.”

Songs of Praise is your most long-running presenting job of 12 years. Does your own Christian faith play a part?

“I suppose it plays a part in everything I do. I don’t go to church at the moment, I haven’t for quite a while due to working, but I was brought up through that music and brought up to go to church, so I always feel that God is with me.”

The story of your discovery as a child star by an appreciative member of the congregation at Bangor Cathedral seems quite quaint and old-fashioned in these days when the music industry is known to be so cut-throat.

“Yes, lovely Hefina [Orwig Evans], who’s sadly no longer with us. She was always nagging my mum and dad to record my voice and they never did anything about it and so she took it on herself to write to a local recording company. She always got the first copy of every album! When I was doing it as a kid it was just so enjoyable because no one had ever done it before.”

Did life change overnight with enormity of No.5 chart hit Walking In The Air in 1985?

“No. I started singing professionally in 1982 and Walking In The Air didn’t come about until 1985 and by then I’d recorded about 12 albums. So the only thing that changed with Walking In The Air was that it became more mainstream and a lot of youngsters bought it. Before then, Terry Wogan always said that my fans were grannies.”

Musicals are one of the many successful routes that you’ve gone down. Which have been your favourite stage experiences?

“I really enjoyed doing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat but, equally, one of the greatest musicals ever is Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and I enjoyed playing Caractacus Potts. The one I’m going to be doing at Christmas, playing Bob Wallace in White Christmas, is such a great role and one in which I get to sing so many beautiful songs.”

What was your first TV presenting job?

“It was probably radio before the television. My experience from singing fuelled the need to want to learn more.”

Do you have to research a great deal for Escape to the Country and Cash in the Attic?

“I’ve bought a few houses in my time so I don’t think you need to be an estate agent to present that sort of programme. I’ve always got an inquisitive mind and I’m quite nosy, so it worked well with doing both shows. Just being able to talk to people as well – as a presenter I always think that you’re just a conduit to get the best out of the contributors.”

Presenting ITV’s Weekend is a big gig to land?

“It’s the thing I’m most proud of in the whole world because I do a hell of a lot of research. I get to spend nine minutes talking to guests so I make sure that if they’ve got a book, I’ve read it, if they’re in a play, I’ve seen it, same with a musical, album, whatever because it always makes for a better interview.”

Do you have a theory on why it is you’ve achieved such far-ranging and long-lasting success?

“It’s lethal if you look into it – I just do the best I can in every situation I’m in and hope for the best, really!”

Your wife Claire is not in the public eye.

“She’s the normal one! We met when I was doing Joseph up in Blackpool. I’d just finished college and I was up in the Winter Gardens for six months. She was living in that neck of the woods.”

And your daughter Amelia, 12, is a budding actress who’s appeared in Dr Who?

“She loves it. Whatever she wants to do in the future I’ll always support her.”

What about Lucas, 9?

“He’s into his Lego and likes Dr Who. He’s just a normal nine-year-old.”

You are an old alumni of Strictly Come Dancing, Aled - who is your early prediction for this year’s champion?

“No chance, you can never tell. I’ve always watched it every year, I think it’s brilliant. My partner was Lilia Kopylova - that was 10 years ago!”

Aled Jones’ Songs of Hope and Inspiration will be raising the roof at Margate Winter Gardens on Saturday, October 11 at 7.30pm. Tickets from £25. Visit www.margatewinter gardens.co.uk or call 01843 292795.