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Powys County Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Powys County Times
Broadcaster and adventurer to host Powys Business Awards
Welsh adventurer and broadcaster with more than 20 years experience, Lowri Morgan, will be hosting this year's Powys Business Awards ceremony. A broadcaster for more than two decades, Lowri Morgan has been announced as the host of the 2025 ceremony for the Powys Business Awards, scheduled to be held at The Hafren, Newtown on Friday, October 17. Lowri said: 'It's a real privilege to host the Powys Business Awards. These awards are all about drive, passion and perseverance – qualities I've seen in the wildest parts of the world and which I know are alive and well in the business community of Powys. 'I'm excited to celebrate the inspiring stories behind this year's finalists.' Best known for her endurance adventures and documentaries for S4C, BBC, ITV and international broadcasters, Lowri has pushed herself to some of the most extreme environments on Earth. From diving to the wreck of the Titanic, to completing ultra-marathons in the Arctic and Amazon, her journey has earned her major accolades including BAFTA Cymru's Best Presenter, Spirit of the Festival (Celtic Media Festival) and National Adventure Awards Media winner. Organised by Mid Wales Manufacturing Group (MWMG), the annual awards celebrate business innovation, resilience, excellence and talent across Powys. Powys Business Awards, founded 16 years ago, aims to recognise and reward the exceptional talent, innovation and commitment that help drive the local economy forward. The awards ceremony is expected to attract key business leaders, community figures and dignitaries from across the region.
Wales Online
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
BBC Death Valley star on what's 'haunted her entire life' as health diagnosis help with new role
BBC Death Valley star on what's 'haunted her entire life' as health diagnosis help with new role Gwyneth Keyworth stars opposite Timothy Spall in BBC One's new drama, Death Valley, but the actress has opened up about her struggles with ADHD. Gwyneth Keyworth plays Janie, a Welsh detective with an obsession for old TV detective shows (Image: BBC/BBC Studios/Jay Brooks ) Being neurodivergent can be challenging, as actress Gwyneth Keyworth recently confessed, her condition can sometimes be difficult to manage and even admitted "that has haunted me my entire life." Whilst in a BAFTA Cymru Q&A session for her new BBC comedy crime drama Death Valley, the actress told the audience how there are some parallels between her and her character Janie when it comes to neurodiversity. Gwyneth, who has been diagnosed with ADHD said that she had struggled growing up with the condition. Her new series, follows her character Janie Mallowan, a Welsh detective sergeant who teams up with her favourite actor John Chapel, played by Timothy Spall, to solve crimes around the Welsh Valleys. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . Gwyneth told the audience that she worked with the writer to reflect her own neurodiversity in her character after saying that her ADHD "has haunted me my entire life." She said: "I'm diagnosed ADHD, and when I was in school in a certain system it was really hard, but in real life there's always some real pros to it. "So, it was really about letting that be part of Janie, because she doesn't work the way everyone else works, but the way she does work - works for her." Article continues below She also added that despite struggling herself with the condition: "I think that's the lovely thing about how Janie's been written, is it is not a hindrance." Content cannot be displayed without consent Recently she also confessed that she wouldn't be able to take on a career as a detective. She admitted: "I'm definitely not built for detective work. I have , I can't keep track of anything!" The actress added: "Janie and I are both scatty. I am always losing stuff, but Janie is more direct than I am and a lot more blunt. I like her commitment to being good at her job and how she won't let anyone get in the way of it." Despite being her first leading role, Gwyneth has previously starred in numerous large scale projects. This includes another BBC series set in Wales, Lost Boys & Fairies, where she played the character Becky. She has also starred in Game of Thrones, Netflix's Black Mirror, The Crown and also Misfits. She also spoke of working with Timothy Spall and said that her co-star looked out for her on set. Gwyneth said: "He is the best and not only is he an amazing actor, but he is also a really nice and kind person. Article continues below "I learnt so much from him especially on how to approach leading a series. We became really good friends, and I always knew he had my back, he would say: 'take a minute, we've got this.'" Death Valley will air on Sunday, May 25 at 8.15pm on BBC One, however the whole boxset will be launching on BBC iPlayer at the same time.
Wales Online
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
BBC Death Valley's full list of Welsh filming locations
BBC Death Valley's full list of Welsh filming locations When things are set in Wales we just can't help ourselves, we have to try and figure out where they are. So, here is a full list to ease your minds. You may recognise some of the locations used to film the new BBC series Death Valley BBC's Death Valley is the latest series filmed and set in Wales which will be popping up on our screens this weekend. This can only mean one thing, that at least 50% of the Welsh population will be cwtched up with a cuppa ready to watch the premier tonight, May 25 saying "hold on, that looks like Cardiff." Now, here at Wales Online, we are awfully thoughtful, and we thought wouldn't it be nice to save you the trouble of endless research trying to figure out where everything is set. From Cardiff to Bridgend, here is a full list of where Death Valley is set. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter At a BAFTA Cymru event ahead of the series' debut on May 25, Director of BBC Wales Rhuanedd Richards said that she was delighted that the comedy crime drama was set in her home town of Mountain Ash. However, despite being set in the Cynon Valley most of the series was filmed elsewhere across South Wales. Throughout the series there are a few locations which keep cropping up, this includes the cottage of John Chapel (Timothy Spall). The gorgeous cottage, which has beautiful stonework and flowers everywhere is located in St Hilary in the Vale of Glamorgan. The café used throughout the series, where Timothy Spall enjoys a good macchiato is actually in Penarth, in Brød Bakery, a Danish bakery chain which has shops across Cardiff. Article continues below Content cannot be displayed without consent A classic filming hack in Wales is using St Fagan's Museum of Welsh Life, for any sets that need to look a bit dated and that is what they did to film the old episodes of Caesar, the detective series starring John Chapel (aka Timothy Spall) within Death Valley. Although, the modern day police station where Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth) and DCI Clarke (Steffan Rhodri) work was actually filmed in Mountain Ash Town Hall. During the first episode of the series we see a murder take place in the glamorous home of a property developer named Carwyn. Let's face it, if you are planning a storyline on the death of a property developer house, you need a nice house to film in. This house in question was actually in Duffryn in the Vale of Glamorgan. Later on in the episode, the building site was filmed in Abbey Woods, Cwmbran. The gorgeous house from episode one was located in the Vale of Glamorgan In the second episode, John and Janie join a walking group as they attempt to solve the murder of one of the members. The walking group are taking a hike through Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons), right next to the beautiful Blaen y Glyn waterfalls. Gwyneth Keyworth even said that this was her favourite location to film. Throughout the episode we can see the group go in and out of the pub, for these scenes they used a combination of both the Kings Arms in Pentyrch, Cardiff and The Old Ford Inn in Llanhamlach, Brecon. Waterfall at Blaen-y-Glyn Waterfalls, by Dave Sealey (Image: Dave Sealey ) The third episode was filmed primarily in Llantwit Major, as the crime fighters investigate the death of a best man at a wedding. The church used was St Illtud's in Llantwit Major Episode four sees the pair investigate a murder in amateur dramatics group, who are filmed rehearsing at Penarth Conservative Club. This isn't the first time Penarth has been used as a filming location for the series and they also used Penarth Pier for the exterior shots of the theatre - you'll recognise that from a recent episode of Doctor Who. The 1929 Art Deco pier pavilion (Image: Jo Ridout, Media Wales ) Article continues below Later on in the series, we see the use of Insole Court in Cardiff as a stately home during a murder mystery in episode five and Brynteg Comprehensive School in Bridgend for a school reunion in the last episode of the series. Death Valley will air on Sunday, May 25 at 8.15pm on BBC One, however the whole boxset will be launching on BBC iPlayer at the same time.
Wales Online
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Gavin & Stacey stars reunite in huge BBC drama Death Valley
Gavin & Stacey stars reunite in huge BBC drama Death Valley Fans of the Welsh/English comedy will be thrilled to see two members of the cast coming together again for a new BBC crime drama. BBC's new comedy crime drama Death Valley will star Timothy Spall and Gwyneth Keyworth (Image: BBC/BBC Studios/Jay Brooks ) Gavin and Stacey fans will be delighted to hear that two of their favourite characters will be reuniting in BBC's Death Valley. The series is a new comedy crime drama following retired actor, John Chapel, played by Timothy Spall, and a young detective, Janie Mallowan played by Gwyneth Keyworth, who become an unlikely crime-fighting duo in the Welsh valleys. Steffan Rhodri who famously plays David Gooch aka Dave Coaches will be joined by fellow cast member and former on screen lover Melanie Walters aka Gwen West. The pair were spotted together on Monday, May 19 at the premier of the first episode in Cardiff. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . The TV Preview was organised by BAFTA Cymru and held in Cardiff, afterwards there was a Q&A session with Paul Doolan, the writer of Death Valley, Steffan Rhodri and leading lady Gwyneth Keyworth. Content cannot be displayed without consent Fans of the comedy sitcom went wild when it was revealed that Dave Coaches was Gwen's secret love interest in the season finale. He even called her sugar tits! Article continues below However, in Death Valley the pair are not in a relationship and instead have very different connections to our leading lady, Janie. Dave Coaches and his new lover Gwen, will be reuniting in a new BBC series. (Image: BBC ) This time round, Melanie will be playing a different onscreen Welsh mam as she stars as Janie's mother Yvonne. She has quite a big storyline in the second episode as the crime fighting duo join her walking group to solve a mysterious murder on a waterfall. The mother and daughter duo seem quite close, and even replicate the same mannerisms. Throughout the series they speak Welsh to each other, to talk behind the back of Timothy Spall's character, despite him understanding bits of the language. Meanwhile, Steffan will be playing DCI Clarke, Janie's boss and mentor at the police station. His character is the complete opposite to what you would normally associate with is traditionally a toxic male environment. Instead, because he has three daughters he is incredibly sympathetic to his young protégé as he wants her to succeed. He even offers her a hot water bottle and a big bar of chocolate when he thinks she's on her period, green flag! Steffan Rhodri will be playing DCI Clarke (Image: BBC/BBC Studios/Simon Ridgway ) Melanie and Steffan have appeared in a range of various productions together. This obviously includes Gavin and Stacey, but also Submarine, Under Milk Wood, The Torchwood podcast series. Both actors from Swansea have also appeared in different episodes of Stella, the series which fellow Gavin and Stacey alum, Ruth Jones, created and starred in. The actress and writer, must have a habit of including her mates in her shows, as James Corden also had a cameo in the series. Article continues below The programme will airs on Sunday, May 25 at 8.15pm on BBC One, however the whole boxset will be launching on BBC iPlayer at the same time.
North Wales Chronicle
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Welsh BAFTA winner takes on 'exciting' new role at Caernarfon TV company
The director, who has previously taken home a hat-trick of BAFTA Cymru gongs, is in charge of the new drama hub at the Cwmni Da TV production company in North Wales. Cwmni Da made the appointment of Martin Thomas as part of an expansion plan to safeguard and create jobs at the employee-owned company. Mr Thomas said: "There is huge potential to develop something really exciting. "If giants like Netflix, Amazon and HBO are coming to North Wales to film, surely we can also use these locations to make high-quality drama for S4C and other broadcasters." The move marks a reset at the company after the departure of managing director Llion Iwan, who left to become chief content officer at S4C. It has also seen chartered accountant Anna Roberts join the finance team. Meanwhile, Sioned Wiliam, former comedy controller at ITV, has returned to the board as a non-executive director after serving as interim chief executive at S4C. Mr Thomas, a familiar face at Cwmni Da, has worked as a freelance director and producer for a decade. He has been a key contributor to the S4C children's show, Deian a Loli, which has won several awards including three BAFTA Cymru awards. He said: "The offer to head up the new drama hub at Cwmni Da came as a huge but very pleasant surprise." Mr Thomas added: "It's brilliant that Cwmni Da are showing so much positivity by investing in drama and scripted content, whether they're short films, films, drama series, standalone dramas – the possibilities are endless." READ MORE: Gwynedd farmer films fatal livestock attack to highlight 'worrying' issue Anna Roberts, who has joined Cwmni Da after a stint with a banking software company, expressed her enthusiasm for the new role. She said: "The offer to come to work for Cwmni Da came at exactly the right time – I couldn't have wished for anything better. "It's a really exciting time to be joining the company." Bethan Griffiths, the company's interim managing director, said: "We were already producing and developing drama and Martin was a part of that and we wanted to ensure that drama and scripted content continue to be produced in North Wales and a focus at Cwmni Da. "All of this is building foundations for the next chapter in the history of Cwmni Da, safeguarding existing jobs, creating new ones, and boosting the local economy. "It's a really exciting time and we want to make sure we are best placed to make the most of every opportunity that comes our way."
