24 March 2020

Five celebrities, five mentors and five different reasons for learning Welsh – this is what is at the heart of Iaith ar Daith (Welsh on the Road) – a brand new series which begins on S4C in April.

Every week, starting from Sunday, April 19, one celebrity and their Welsh-speaking mentor, who is also a well-known face, travel to different parts of Wales in order to learn some more of the language – and there will be several challenges along the way.

Come and meet the celebrities:

Carol Vorderman – former Countdown presenter, TV and radio presenter

Colin Jackson – Olympic medal winning hurdler and BBC presenter

Ruth Jones - Actor and author

Adrian Chiles - former The One Show presenter, ITV sport presenter

Scott Quinnell – Former Wales international rugby player and commentator

And these are the mentors who have gone on the road to help develop their celebrity friend's ability to speak Welsh:

Carol's mentor is the BBC North West Tonight weather presenter Owain Wyn Evans.

Colin's mentor is the radio and TV presenter Eleri Siôn.

Ruth's mentor is the comedian and actor Gillian Elisa.

Adrian's mentor is the BBC TV and radio journalist Steffan Powell.

Scott's mentor is the presenter and rugby commentator Sarra Elgan.

Each of the celebrities have their own personal reasons for learning Welsh:

CAROL: "I'm moving back to Wales – I've got a little house in Pembrokeshire on the cliffs and I'm moving to Cardiff in the late summer this year from Bristol where I've been living for some time. I genuinely feel I have a responsibility to come home and do what I can to show my Welshness now.Speaking our language is part of that.

COLIN: A little bit of envy because my sister (Suzanne Packer) is learning Welsh and doing really well. I see that speaking Welsh has helped her engage with Wales more. I've got a real sense of desire to learn Welsh – I think you have to really want to do it – it is something that is within you."

RUTH: There wasn't really a decision as such. I've been trying to keep learning it ever since school but in quite an unofficial way. My step-children all went to Welsh language schools, and a lot of my friends are Welsh speaking. There's something sad about being Welsh and not being able to speak it.

ADRIAN: "I just can't overstate how much I love being in Wales, being on Gower, in particular. I want my ashes spread on one of the beaches there! It just feels plain wrong to spend so much time in Wales and not have some knowledge of Welsh."

SCOTT: "I have always wanted to learn Welsh and now, thanks to Iaith ar Daith, I have the perfect opportunity. I do know some Welsh words through watching Y Clwb Rygbi on S4C, so I know 'cais' means 'try'. I hope I will know many more words after a week on the road with Sarra Elgan."

On their journeys, the celebs visit places in Wales which are important to them.

Carol Vorderman and Owain Wyn Evans spend time travelling around north Wales, where Carol was brought up.

Adrian Chiles and Steffan Powell visit the Gower Peninsula, an area which is very familiar to Adrian.

Colin Jackson and Eleri Siôn visit Ceredigion and then on to Colin's home city of Cardiff.

Llanelli is very close to Scott Quinnell's heart after playing for the Scarlets rugby club for several years.

Fond memories of shows such as 'Drover's Gold' and 'Ar y Tracs' take Ruth Jones and Gillian Elisa to the Llandovery and Merthyr areas.

Iaith ar Daith begins on Sunday, April 19 at 8.00 with Carol and Owain Wyn Evans's trip.

So, join Carol, Ruth, Colin, Adrian, Scott and their mentors – the challanges, tears and laughter – as they start on an unforgettable journey to learn Welsh.

Iaith ar Daith is sponsored by learnwelsh.cymru. For more information about Welsh courses, opportunities to practise your Welsh or to access over 1000 free digital learning resources, go to learnwelsh.cymru.

Iaith ar Daith

Every Sunday evening from April 19, 8.00, S4C

English subtitles

Available on demand on S4C Clic s4c.cymru/clic, BBC iPlayer and other platforms

A Boom production for S4C