11 January 2016

Stars hoping to be cream of the crop and win cookery show

Popular Welsh celebrity cookery programme Pryd o Sêr returns to S4C this month, with a plateful of famous Welsh stars all hoping not to bite off more than they can chew in the kitchen.

The seventh series of Pryd o Sêr series will return to S4C on Sunday, 24 January, with eight Welsh celebrities hoping to put the icing on their cake by being crowned Pryd o Sêr winner. The eight will be heading to South West Wales, to face some of the harshest challenges ever seen on Pryd o Sêr.

The eight celebrities, who hope to cook up a storm in the kitchen, consist of three actors, two from the sporting world, two singers and one model.

Eager to be cream of the crop is actress Rhian Morgan; last year's BAFTA Cymru's best actress winner for her portrayal of Gwen Lloyd, a Geography teacher in Gwaith/Cartref; joining her on the kitchen stage is fellow actress Shelley Rees, who will be starring in the new series of Gwaith/Cartref this January, as well as Twin Town and Dan y Wenallt/Under Milk Wood star, William Thomas.

Hoping to fight his corner in the kitchen will be wrestler Barri Griffiths, originally from Tremadog he's now moved stateside wrestling in the WWE championship. Owain Tudur Jones will be hoping to get the ball rolling in the competition, as a former Welsh football international he's used to tackling tough challenges, and the Bangor-born footballer will be eager not to be shown the red card by the judges. The singers will also hope not to crumble; John Jones, member of the famous country singing Welsh duo John ac Alun will strive to be pitch perfect, and singer and entertainer Caryl Parry Jones will attempt to strike a chord with the judges. Also having a taste of being a chef will be Aberystwyth glamour model, Jess Davies.

This year’s Pryd o Sêr was filmed in Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire; with the final round taking place at Cliff Hotel, Gwbert, Cardigan. During the series we'll catch a glimpse of the stars fishing in Cardigan Bay, as well as visiting various locations in the area, as they take on various challenges, including handling ducks, and visiting a local abattoir

Emotions run high in the latest series, as the celebrities cook for two renowned organisations in Wales; Young Farmers Wales and Merched y Wawr. The celebrities received training from some of the best chefs in Wales; Aled Williams, a head chef at Michelin starred Northcote Restaurant, Lancashire; and Mark Threadgill, head chef at Portmeirion.

Pryd o Sêr judge and Chef Dudley Newbery spilt the beans on the new series: "The series' success is that there's nothing like it on TV. The series is unique and original, and I'm proud of that. The format hasn't changed a huge amount from series to series. But as we visit different areas, we taste and see different and new produce. We have eight new stars, and they react differently to the various challenges we throw at them. That's what makes the programme interesting; the eight who are taking part define the programme.

"What the stars achieve during the course of the series is amazing. They astonish me every year. It's not a set-up, we don't hide anything, and it’s a case of sink or swim. We'll see tears and laughter as the celebrities deal with the heat of the kitchen. As a judge, I'm not trying to be mean, and by the end the celebrities they realise that, and they're so proud of what they've achieved."

Here’s more about the eight stars taking part:

Barri Griffiths: The Tremadog born wrestler calls himself Mason Ryan in the ring, and has travelled the world wrestling. Born in 1982, he first worked as a carpet apprentice, and then in an undertakers, before turning his hand to wrestling. He appeared in popular ITV programme Gladiators, before moving to America and he's now a WWE wrestling character.

Caryl Parry Jones: An accomplished actress, singer and a comedian, Caryl is an all-round entertainer. Originally from Ffynnongroyw, Flintshire, she now lives in Cowbridge. She's sung some of Welsh pop's best loved songs, including Chwarae'n troi'n chwerw and Ail Feiolin. She stars in the satirical sketches show, Caryl a'r Lleill, and she'll soon be starring in Anita, a drama series she's also written.

Jess Davies: Jess Davies is one of the UK's top glamour models. Originally from Aberystwyth, Jess has modelled in popular men's magazines including Nuts, Zoo, FHM and Loaded. A former pupil at Ysgol Penglais, Aberystwyth, Jess has also completed a degree in Sociology at South Wales University. Recently, Jess starred in a documentary on her life, Jess y Model a Tudalen 3, which was shown on S4C during the summer.

John Jones: John is part of the famous Welsh country music duo, John ac Alun; together they've produced well-known Welsh songs including Chwarelwr. The duo also has a radio show on BBC Radio Cymru every Sunday night, which includes country music and plenty of witty chat. John lives in Tudweiliog, Lleyn Peninsula, where he was also bought up.

Owain Tudur Jones: A former footballer, Owain has now turned his hand to commentating, Owain started playing for Porthmadog and Bangor, before turning professional, playing for Swansea City. After several injuries, Owain played for Norwich, Inverness and Hibernian, before being forced to retire in March 2015. Without a shadow of a doubt his career high was playing for Wales seven times. Owain is originally from Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor.

Shelley Rees: Shelley has carved out a successful career as an actress. Probably best known as Stacey on Pobol y Cwm, she returned to her role last year on the 40th anniversary of the show. She's now left the Welsh soap opera, and will be starring in the new series of Gwaith/Cartref in January. Last year she appeared in Y Streic a fi, which also won Best Film at BAFTA Cymru awards. Treorchy born and bred, she continues to live there.

Rhian Morgan: Rhian is an experienced actress, and recently won a BAFTA Cymru award for her portrayal of the Geography teacher, Gwen Lloyd in Gwaith/Cartref. She's also starred in many other S4C drama series, including Tir and Llafur Cariad. She's also an accomplished stage actress, appearing in productions for Theatr Genedlaethol among other drama companies. She currently lives in Llandeilo, and is originally from the Swansea Valley.

William Thomas: William Thomas has a long-line of acting credits to his name, including popular S4C series', Teulu and Parch on S4C. Acting in both English and Welsh, he's also starred in iconic Welsh film, Twin Town, and Dan y Wenallt/Under Milk Wood.