Entertainment

Martin Clunes to portray Huw Edwards in new television drama

Published

5 months ago

January 8, 2026

ACTOR Martin Clunes is to take on the role of disgraced former BBC newsreader Huw Edwards in a new factual drama examining one of the most damaging scandals in British broadcasting history.

The two-part series, provisionally titled Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, will air on Channel 5 and will chart Edwards’ rise to prominence, his fall from grace, and the events that culminated in his conviction and suspended prison sentence.

Clunes, best known for his long-running role in Doc Martin, is depicted in character wearing a black suit and silver watch, seated in a newsroom studio with papers spread before him as journalists work in the background. The production aims to recreate the atmosphere of Britain’s flagship television news at the height of Edwards’ career.

Edwards began his broadcasting career in Wales before becoming one of the most recognisable and highest-paid presenters at the BBC, fronting News at Ten for decades. During that time, he delivered some of the most significant moments in recent British history, including coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

His career ended in disgrace following a series of revelations that emerged in July 2023, when a newspaper report alleged that a senior BBC presenter had paid a teenager for sexual images. Days later, Edwards’ wife publicly identified him as the individual at the centre of the allegations. He resigned from the BBC in April 2024.

In June 2024, after an investigation by the Metropolitan Police, Edwards was charged with three counts of making indecent images of children, linked to WhatsApp exchanges with a man named Alex Williams. He pleaded guilty the following month, admitting to possessing forty-one images, including seven of the most serious category.

Edwards received a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for seven years.

Channel 5 said the drama will explore how the scandal unfolded and will feature interviews with journalists who first reported the story, as well as those involved in investigating the case. The series will be directed by Michael Samuels, known for acclaimed British dramas including The Windermere Children and Any Human Heart.

Ben Frow, Channel 5’s chief content officer, said the programme would examine “how a man in a position of power and trust betrayed that status,” adding that it would focus on “the human cost behind the headlines.”

The drama is expected to reignite debate about accountability, safeguarding and power within British broadcasting, and marks the first major scripted portrayal of the Edwards scandal since his conviction.

Entertainment

Summer Feastival to bring food, music and family fun to Pembrey

Published

3 days ago

June 11, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A WEEKEND of street food, live music, circus entertainment and family activities is heading to Pembrey Country Park this month.

Summer Feastival, organised by Street Food Circus, will take place from Friday, June 19 to Sunday, June 21, bringing what organisers describe as the “ultimate coastal foodie weekend” to Carmarthenshire.

The event will be held over the summer solstice weekend, with visitors able to enjoy food, entertainment and activities against the backdrop of Pembrey Country Park and the nearby eight-mile beach.

This year’s event includes a new BBC Horizons live music stage, created through a partnership with BBC Wales, showcasing emerging bands and artists from across Wales.

Families will also be able to enjoy the World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle, Attack! Mexican Wrestling, Chris Bullzini’s high wire show, the Incredibly Clever Canine Circus, a free circus school, craft activities with Let’s Make Art, crazy golf from Kiss My Putt, and Bull Axe Throwing.

There will also be an Indie Collectives market featuring Welsh independent makers and crafts, along with a Big Top Picnic celebrating local food producers.

As evening falls, the event will move into a more relaxed festival atmosphere, with live music, slower beats and a fire finale from the Pembrokeshire Fire Spinners.

Food will be at the heart of the weekend, with traders including The Dough Thrower, serving 72-hour fermented wood-fired pizzas, Pasta a Mano with handmade pasta from West Wales, Mar y Fuego with seafood cooked over fire, and Mabiko with Zimbabwean and South African dishes.

Other traders include The Queen Pepiada, TNT Tacos, Two Lads Kitchen, Burger Bros, Paletas, Poutine Punks, Churros Hermanos, Drizzle and The Coffee Shop.

Drinks will be provided by Tiny Rebel, SFC’s Bobo bar, Lola’s Cocktails and The Lemonade Stand.

Street Food Circus founder Matt ‘the Hat’ said: “Pembrey Country Park is our biggest event of the season, and it’s a truly spectacular location.

“We’re bringing the best of Welsh street food and a circus-full of entertainment and activities for kids and big kids alike.

“With an on-site campsite, people don’t have to rush home. You can have a beach stroll in the morning, explore the Feastival and park adventures like the toboggan, miniature railway or dry ski slope by day, and let the music drift you into a warm summer evening. It’s the ultimate summer escape.

“This year we are going all out with more food, more music, and a brand-new live stage.”

He said the event will also include the new Little Kooks Clwb, aimed at children who enjoy food-based activities.

Kids’ tickets are free, while an optional Little Kooks Clwb package includes an activity backpack with challenges, ideas and foodie inspiration to take home.

Summer Feastival runs at Pembrey Country Park from Friday, June 19 to Sunday, June 21.

Opening hours are Friday 4:00pm to 10:00pm, Saturday 10:00am to 10:00pm, and Sunday 10:00am to 7:00pm.

Tickets start at £9.50, with children admitted free. More information is available at streetfoodcircus.co.uk.

Entertainment

BBC Cymru Wales launches new fund for YouTube-first content

Published

3 days ago

June 10, 2026

Tom Sinclair

BBC Cymru Wales has launched a new development fund aimed at creating bold, original factual entertainment content for younger digital audiences.

The Format Fund will support five independent production companies, with each receiving £7,000 to develop an original pilot designed specifically for YouTube-first viewers aged 16 to 24.

The initiative is intended to encourage creative risk-taking and explore what the next generation of factual entertainment could look like in a digital-first media landscape.

BBC Cymru Wales says it is looking for ideas that move away from traditional television production models and instead embrace YouTube-native storytelling, with clear concepts, strong pacing, repeatable formats and striking visuals that quickly capture attention.

Nick Andrews, Head of Commissioning for BBC Cymru Wales said: “As part of a busy summer of piloting and commissioning YouTube content of all shapes and sizes across scripted and unscripted we’re delighted to be heading into this super fun genre.

“We’d love to be in a world where we can scale up these fact-ent pilots into something for the whole of the BBC to enjoy – wishing everyone all the best as they get stuck into it.”

Successful ideas could be developed further with BBC Cymru Wales, with the potential to become returning digital series.

The deadline for applications is midnight on Friday, July 3.

Entertainment

Duffy set for secret comeback gig after 15 years away from UK stage

Published

4 days ago

June 9, 2026

Tom Sinclair

WELSH singer Duffy is set to make her live UK comeback with a secret London show, more than 15 years after her last concert appearance in Britain.

The Grammy-winning artist, whose real name is Aimee Anne Duffy, revealed the news to fans in an Instagram story, confirming that the intimate performance will take place on July 5.

Duffy wrote: “I’m doing a secret intimate gig in London on the 5th July, next month, and I would love nothing more than for some of you to attend.

“It’s only small capacity so we can only select a few, but really looking forward to it, I will sing some new songs.

“All my love, Duffy x.”

The performance will include new material and marks her first UK live show since December 2010, when she appeared at Capital FM’s Jingle Bell Ball at the O2 Arena in London.

Duffy became one of Wales’ biggest music stars following the release of her debut album Rockferry, which was powered by the hit single Mercy. The song topped the UK charts for five weeks and helped establish her internationally.

Her second album, Endlessly, followed in 2010, but she later withdrew from public life.

Years later, Duffy revealed that she had been drugged, raped and held captive, explaining her long absence from the music industry.

Her return to the stage comes shortly after confirmation that she will feature in a new Disney+ documentary, which will explore her rise to fame, her life in Wales, her career, and the traumatic events that led to her stepping away from the spotlight.

Duffy also has strong links to Pembrokeshire. After her parents divorced, she moved with her mother and two sisters to Letterston, near Fishguard.

She later attended Sir Thomas Picton School in Haverfordwest, where she completed her GCSEs before returning to North Wales to live with her father.