Record crowds at National Eisteddfod for TV star Alex Jones

Gate figures on Thursday saw more than 20,000 people enter the maes at Meifod – more for that day than in the past five years, and almost 2,500 more than the same day last year.

The main draw of the day was the appearance of Jones to present an evening of music from stage and screen.

The pavilion was packed for the concert, which saw Jones present John Owen-Jones, the CF1 Choir, Luke McCall, the cast of Les Miserables, and Rhian Lois, with John Quirk's Orchestra to lead them into the world of memorable music, from films and television shows.

The following day Jones, from Ammanford in South Wales, received her own share of the spotlight as she was honoured by the Archdruid of the Gorsedd of the Bards in an open-air ceremony on the Eisteddfod Maes.

The week-long Eisteddfod, which has brought thousands of people to the region, came to a close on Saturday. Following the ceremony on Friday, Jones said: "I was absolutely, well, it took my breath away. It was so emotional."

Miss Jones said her colleagues from The One Show were unable to make it to see the ceremony, but she said she had tried to explain it to them.

"It's really hard to explain what being part of the Gorsedd is. You explain about the costumes and the ceremony. They did their research and I think now they understand it."