17 November 2015

S4C daily drama Pobol y Cwm has won the Mind Media award for best portrayal of mental health in a soap.

Pobol y Cwm, produced by BBC Cymru Wales, won the accolade for actor Dyfan Rees’s depiction of his character’s obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

Iolo White develops symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder, which he tries to hide from his family and friends. As his condition worsens, he is in danger of losing his home and his job, and cannot go on without accepting that he needs help.

The Mind Media Awards celebrate the best examples of reporting and portrayal of mental health in print, broadcast and digital media, including radio and television documentary and drama, young people's media, news and soaps.

A number of S4C programmes have been nominated for Mind Media awards in the past.

This marks the second time the BBC's longest-running TV soap has been given the award. In 2009, the series scooped the award for a single mother’s portrayal of post-natal depression.

Gwawr Martha Lloyd, S4C Drama Commissioner says; “Pobol y Cwm has managed to create an interesting story and draw attention to mental health in a candid and honest way. It’s a compliment to Dyfan Rees, who plays the sensitive and likeable character, Iolo White, and is also credit to the production team for the script, the structure and the high production values.”

Llyr Morus, Series Producer of Pobol y Cwm, says to win again is a huge honour; “It’s important for us as a series to depict real experiences - experiences that are relevant to our audience, and experiences that our audience can identify with. Being nominated for this award alongside other popular soap operas in Britain is credit to the amazing work the authors, actors and editorial and production departments have achieved over the past year."

Sian Gwynedd, Head of Welsh Language Programmes and Services at the BBC adds; "It’s excellent to see a series like Pobol y Cwm getting the recognition it deserves once again for reflecting stories dealing with mental health problems. It’s very important that the series deals with difficult subjects and stories such as this, that are common place within society."

The award-winning Pobol y Cwm airs Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 8.00pm on S4C.

Viewers can keep up to date with the programme online on S4C’s online on demand service at s4c.cymru or on BBC iPlayer.

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