1 January 2025
This New Year, take the first step toward a life-changing transformation with Tŷ Ffit, an empowering new reality series starting on S4C on 7 January.
In the series, presented by Lisa Gwilym, five individuals (or clients) with the desire to transform their lives and to love themselves again, will stay in an incredible haven on the coast of Anglesey over a period of seven weekends.
With the help of inspirational Mentors and experienced Experts guiding them every step of the way, the Clients will focus on improving their physical, mental and emotional well-being during their time on Tŷ Ffit.
The five who will take part in the series are:
Each one will be matched with a special Mentor.
One of the mentors on the Tŷ Ffit team is former rugby star Shane Williams, renowned for his exceptional career as a winger with both the Ospreys and the Welsh national team. With a record 58 tries, he holds the title for Wales' all-time top try scorer.
After retiring from nearly two decades at the top of the sport, Shane has turned his attention to endurance sports, particularly triathlon and Ironman events. In his debut race in Tenby in 2016, he finished third in his age group (men 45-49) and an impressive 81st overall.
Shane Williams said:
"It has been a privilege to be a part of Tŷ Ffit - an important programme that really changes lives.
"As a Mentor, I wanted a challenge, but I also wanted to drive the person I chose to find that strength that's in all of us. It's about perseverance, working as a team and not giving up. And just like rugby, this journey isn't just physical - it's about finding that mental resilience and learning to believe in yourself.
"It was important for me to show that the greatest victories can come when you face challenges head-on."
Another mentor on the team is Aled Davies, the Paralympic champion in both discus and shot put. Hailing from Bridgend, Aled was born with hemimelia in his right leg, and from a young age, he developed a passion for sports. In 2005, he dedicated himself to shot put and discus, and soon after, his talent began to shine.
In 2012, Aled set a World Record in the F42 shot put, and at that year's Paralympic Games, he claimed bronze in the shot put and gold in the discus.
At the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, Aled not only took gold in the F42 shot but also broke the Paralympic record. His success continued in 2020, when he won another gold in the men's F63 shot. Most recently, at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, he added a silver medal in the T63 shot to his impressive collection.
The third Mentor is Naomi Allsworth, the wilderness survival expert who advises at the Bear Grylls Academy.
Naomi is originally from Crymych and changed her career from being a fashion designer to running survival courses in the wild after she attended a Survival Skills course from the Bear Grylls Academy.
She came second in the Channel 4 series Alone after she single-handedly faced a bear in a remote area of Canada's Northwest Territories and now runs the organization The Rambler's Mistress, an enterprise that aims to ignite self-discovery, self-reliance, and self-empowerment in women who want to venture into the wild.
Gym owner and fitness instructor from Porthmadog Siôn 'Monty' is another of Tŷ Ffit's Mentors. He went through his own transformation journey by losing almost four stone after becoming a father 7 years ago. Siôn was a part of the 2024 documentary on S4C; 30 Stôn: Brwydr Fawr Geth a Monty.
The fifth mentor is Caris Bowen, an open water swimming instructor from Llanelli who triumphed over a deep-water phobia after surviving Hodgkin's lymphoma at the age of 21. By now, Caris' mental health, physical health and outlook in life is better than ever.
In addition to the Mentors, the Tŷ Ffit team includes four renowned Experts in the health and wellness field. These experts are Cadi Fôn, a personal trainer and business owner from Dyffryn Nantlle; Angharad Griffiths, a nutritionist originally from Carmarthen, now based in Bethesda; Dr. Sherif Khalifa, a GP in Cardiff; and Sioned Lewis, the Tŷ Ffit counsellor.
Throughout the series, viewers will witness how focusing on mental health, physical fitness, and emotional well-being leads to profound transformations in the Clients' lives.
You can also follow the exclusive Tŷ Ffit plan on the website: www.s4c.cymru/tyffit.
