15 September 202

Former international rugby player Ken Owens has been lending fellow rugby legend Josh Navidi a hand to learn more Welsh and regain confidence in speaking the language.

They will both appear in the new series of Iaith ar Daith which starts on Sunday 15 September.

Each week, one celebrity is paired with a well-known Welsh-speaking mentor as they travel to different parts of Wales to learn the language, taking part in challenges set for them along the way.

Other celebrities embarking on a similar Iaith ar Daith journey to learn Welsh are actress Kimberly Nixon – mentored by actor Matthew Gravelle, comedian Ignacio Lopez – mentored by fellow comedian Tudur Owen, singer Ian 'H' Watkins mentored by singer-songwriter Bronwen Lewis, actor Paul Rhys with actor Dyfan Dwyfor and international football player Jess Fishlock with sports presenter Catrin Heledd.

Josh will be mentored by his friend Ken Owens 'The Sheriff', who will offer him guidance and inspiration.

Josh has represented his country 33 times on the rugby field and is passionate about his mother tongue, but keen to learn more vocabulary to regain confidence to speak it:

Josh said: "My Mum's a Welsh speaker, so she talks to me in Welsh but I answer in English, so I want to get my Welsh back.

"Welsh language is part of me, but I just need the confidence to unlock that and be able to talk to people in the language."

Josh's father left Iran for Wales as a result of Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979, where he met Josh's mother, who is originally from Anglesey, in Bangor.

Josh's journey begins in Llanddona, Anglesey – his Grandmother's home and a place which holds special meaning to him.

Since retiring from the playing field, Josh has turned his hand to a number of ventures, including commentating, DJing and selling cars.

Among the challenges set for him in Iaith ar Daith is selling a car in a garage in Bethel, spinning records, and conducting a tour of the Principality Stadium – all through the medium of Welsh!

Before setting out on their journey, each celebrity received two intensive days of one-on-one learning with a Say Something in Welsh tutor, before continuing to do 20 hours of independent learning with the organisation's course.

Aran Jones, Chief Executive of Say Something in Welsh said:

"There has been a steady increase in the number of people learning Welsh and using our services in the last five years, especially during the lockdown period, and we believe that more people are learning Welsh now than ever before. We look forward to continuing to support more people to become confident speakers."

Welsh language lessons are offered virtually and in-person around Wales. Visit the following website for further details about learning Welsh and S4C resources: https://www.s4c.cymru/en/dysgu-cymraeg/