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Welsh animated sitcom ‘The Golden Cobra’ premieres on the BBC

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A BRAND-NEW animated sitcom series, The Golden Cobra, is set to make its debut on BBC Three and BBC One on 16 August. Commissioned by BBC One Wales and written by the talented team of Adam Llewellyn, James Prygodzicz, and Thomas Rees, this series promises to bring a unique blend of gritty and surreal humour to Welsh audiences.

The Golden Cobra first came to life as part of the regional broadcaster’s Festival Of Funny in late 2021, where it received a hugely positive response. Piloted in November 2021, the series follows the misadventures of Nick, a delivery driver, and the Abassi family, who own the worst catering establishment in Ebbw Vale, an Indian takeaway aptly named The Golden Cobra. The original pilot episode, which charted Nick’s chaotic first shift and owner Basil’s desperate attempts to outshine his more competent competitors, has garnered a dedicated following, particularly on iPlayer.

The series, featuring eight punchy 10-minute episodes, dives into the heart of the Welsh Valleys, offering a loving tribute to its people and their quirks. It showcases a slice of Welsh life that is both relatable and hysterical, with a unique narrative style that sets it apart from typical animated series.

Paul Forde, Commissioning Editor for Comedy at BBC Wales, expressed his excitement about the project: “We were blown away by the positive audience response to the original pilot, so I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to offer Adam and the team a full series to get their teeth into. Commissioning a series like The Golden Cobra, with a relatively new writing team, reinforces BBC Wales’s ongoing commitment to developing brand new Welsh comedy talent.”

Creator Adam Llewellyn reflected on the journey from a passion project to a full series: “I started making The Vale in 2019 along with James Prygodzicz, Thomas Rees, Lizzie Luke, and Steve Ballinger, purely as a passion project and to express my love for Ebbw Vale, where I grew up, and our collective love for the valleys. The fact that we’ve got this far is crazy. I cannot believe we have reached BBC Wales. Most of all, we’re chuffed that we can give Ebbw Vale and the South Wales Valleys the spotlight they deserve.”

In the debut episode, viewers will see Basil Abassi, the beleaguered owner of The Golden Cobra, scrambling to impress an unexpected health inspector, leading to hilariously dire consequences. Meanwhile, delivery driver Nick faces his old rival, Bennett, leading to an unexpected and chaotic escape.

With voices by renowned actors Jeff Mirza (True Detective) as Basil and David Firth (Salad Fingers) as the health inspector, The Golden Cobra is set to be a comedy gem for Welsh audiences. The series will also have a day 1 drop on iPlayer, making it easily accessible for viewers eager to dive into this humorous portrayal of life in the Valleys.

The trailer for The Golden Cobra will be available early next week. For interviews with the writers or the production team, Beastly Media, or for further information, preview copies, and images, please reach out to our media contact.

Get ready to laugh out loud with The Golden Cobra – a series created with love for Wales and its people, airing soon on BBC Three and BBC One.

Entertainment

Haverfordwest to host free family film screening this Sunday

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A FREE cinema screening of The Sloth Lane, an unreleased animated film, will take place in Haverfordwest this Sunday (Feb 9) as part of Escapes’ first-ever family-friendly event.

Escapes, supported by the BFI and National Lottery funding, is offering families the chance to watch the heartwarming film ahead of its official UK release on Friday (Feb 14). The initiative aims to bring people together through independent cinema, with free screenings at over 80 venues nationwide.

The Sloth Lane follows a speedy sloth named Laura and her quirky family as they move to the big city in their rusted old food truck, determined to make their business a success. The film delivers a feel-good message about embracing life’s adventures.

The Sunday matinee screening is designed for families, allowing bookings for up to two adults and three children per order. All screenings will feature descriptive subtitles to ensure accessibility.

Escapes has already provided over 65,000 free cinema tickets across the UK, showcasing everything from cult classics to Oscar-nominated films. The initiative will continue throughout 2025, bringing a new free film to cinemas each month.

Tickets for The Sloth Lane are available now at escapes.cinematik.app.

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Johnny Cash Roadshow celebrates 20th anniversary tour at the Torch

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THE JOHNNY CASH ROADSHOW, the world’s premier tribute to the legendary Man in Black, is thrilled to announce its 20th Anniversary Tour. Heading into its 20th year on the road and stronger than ever, this fast-paced, energetic, and constantly evolving show is now the longest-running and most critically acclaimed tribute show across the UK and Europe and can be seen at the Torch Theatre this February. 

Set on a Grand ‘Ole Opry style stage, the Roadshow brings you the best of Johnny Cash’s catalogue of songs in one night’s entertainment. Fans can look forward to iconic hits such as “Walk the Line,” “Ring of Fire,” “Jackson,” and “Hurt.” With standing ovations every night, this is the longest-running and best celebration of Johnny Cash in the world today. It’s guaranteed you wanting more.

The tour will kick off mid-January in their hometown of Malvern, Worcestershire, with performances scheduled in major cities across the UK, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland throughout the year.

Lead singer, Clive John (Johnny Cash), is a multi-award winning singer songwriter, with eight albums of his own material under his belt. Clive has won multiple awards for his songwriting. His album The Spirt was nominated best country album of the year and the title single was no 1 in the Country Music charts for eight weeks. His rendition of Hurt recorded Live at Her Majesties Theater Aberdeen was No1 Worldwide for four weeks. Clive is the founder and theater director for the Johnny Cash Roadshow, it’s been his passion for the last 20 years, so this year is a special, not to be missed show.  

“We are incredibly excited to celebrate 20 years of the Johnny Cash Roadshow. This tour is a tribute to Johnny’s enduring legacy and the fans who have supported us throughout the years,” said Clive. 

Clive will have the company of Ashley Cavell (June Carter) and is no stranger to the stages with her most recent leading role in Vampire Rock which toured the theaters and arenas across the UK. Her background in stage performance and dance runs from the Cruise ships to the stages with many of the top tribute shows in the UK and Europe such as Little Mix, ABBA, Meatloaf and Spice Girls.  

The show has been supported by Caitlin Crowell, granddaughter of Johnny Cash.

“Clive captures my Grandfather JUST as he was,” said Caitlin who added: “(the show was) Absolutely authentic to the point where it felt as if it wasn’t a tribute.”

Tickets for the The Johnny Cash Roadshow – 20th Anniversary Tour at the Torch Theatre on Friday 21 February at 7.30pm are on sale now and can be purchased at the Torch Theatre Box Office on 01646 695267 or visit torchtheatre.co.uk.

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Paralympic legend Aled reveals the hurt of being “the only disabled kid” in school

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PARALYMPIC legend and world record holder Aled Davies has spoken movingly about how he didn’t want to be seen as disabled during his schooldays.

According to Aled, he felt different because he  was “the only disabled kid” at his school in Bridgend, south Wales and admits he didn’t wear a pair of shorts until he was 16, hiding his leg “at every opportunity”.

His open and candid conversation over a tasty curry dinner helped inspire a group taking part in a pioneering reality television programme, Tŷ Ffit, on S4C.

The group of five participants or clients meet up over a period of seven weekends in an idyllic house on the Anglesey coast.

They focus on improving their physical, mental and emotional well-being with the help of mentors – including Aled and Wales rugby legend Shane Williams –  and experienced experts guiding them every step of the way.

During the show that’s presented by Lisa Gwilym and broadcast at 9pm on Tuesday evenings they focus on improving the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the five clients.

Aled travelled to Anglesey to meet the group and brought his extensive collection of medals he has won at various competitions, one of them was the silver medal he won at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.

He said: “It’s not the colour I wanted to bring home unfortunately.

“I wanted to give the best possible performance on the world’s biggest stage, but I’ve been injured and it was hard. I show the medal to anyone but the people close to me know how difficult the journey has been since the Commonwealth Games The day will come when I look back with pride on the (2024) Games but not yet.”

Asked by participant Gwawr Job-Davies, from Old Colwyn, how he’ll get through the disappointment Aled said he remembers the 2012 London Paralympics.

“Those Games changed disability sport for ever. Walking out before 80,000 people was realising every dream I had had since a young child. It was a chance to show everyone what you could do despite a disability and hope children out there could see and say ‘I can do that’.”

Gwawr said later she had really enjoyed listening to Aled.

“He has so much confidence in himself it is just so inspiring,” she said.

But Aled said the confidence has not always been evident.

“I didn’t wear shorts until I was 16 years old, I always hid my legs. I didn’t do PE or sports because I knew I was different.

“When I was 14 or 15 my mother saw something in a newspaper a disability sports club where they did swimming. I’d never heard of anything like that.

“I remember walking into the swimming pool and saw so many people with disabilities and I thought all right, there are people like me and I’m lucky because there are people with worse disabilities than me.

“I won the Welsh Schools Championship and others were saying ‘I can’t believe I’ve been beaten by someone with just one leg’. Something changed then,” he said.

Aled was born with hemimelia, a condition where a limb is missing or partially formed, affecting the bones and soft tissue in his right leg.

He developed a passion for sport and in 2005 he dedicated himself to shot put and discus.

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.

The following year Aled took the World Championship gold in both the shot put and discus in Lyon. He won double gold in his home country at the 2014 IPC Athletics European Championships in the shot put and discus. This followed his silver medal in the F42-44 discus from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where he represented Wales.

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 Games 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.

Passing some of the medals he has won around the dining table Aled said there was a story behind each one.

“And so much hard work had gone into winning each one,” he said.

Aled is currently struggling with a nagging injury and faces further surgery in a determined attempt to resolve the issue. 

“Three weeks before the (2023) Commonwealth Games I was driving home and I felt a burning pain in my groin.

“It was diagnosed as Osteitis Pubis which comes from over training and is the most common career-ending injury in football and rugby. It was not something I wanted to hear,” he said.

Aled gritted his teeth at the Games in Birmingham and won gold. But following an extended period off the pain remained.

“The treatment before the Paralympics were injections into a joint between the pelvic bones but after Paris I had surgery which unfortunately wasn’t successful and hopefully further surgery will sort it for good,” he said.

Aled added he has targeted next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and is determined to do well and win Gold for Wales.

“Many people are asking me about my future but I haven’t finished yet. There’s still a lot of energy and I’ve got a fire in my belly to come back and achieve one hundred per cent fitness and compete at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. I’ve unfinished business in the city. I competed in the same games in 2014 and didn’t win gold,” he said.

Aled is Dylan Edwards’ mentor in the series. Originally from Bontnewydd near Caernarfon but now living in Cardiff the 38-year-old Video Games Analyst was impressed by the way Aled had overcome the challenges in his life.

“I thought to myself if he can do this then so can I.

“One of the things that came across clearly was the way Aled turned the negatives into a positive,” he said.

Series producer Siwan Haf said Aled was an inspiration for all the group.

She said: “He spoke candidly about his disappointment winning only a silver medal at the Paris Paralympics and spoke openly about his condition and how he has battled to overcome life’s difficulties and make the best of his life. He is a true inspiration.”

Siwan believes a programme like Tŷ Ffit has not been shown before.

“Tŷ Ffit is more than a television programme but is about changing people’s lives for the better.

“During the programme they are extremely open about their own mental health and we are very grateful to them for that. It has been transformational for all five of them and we hope viewers will continue to watch the programme and follow their journey.

“We’re also hopeful that the viewers will pick up some hints and tips about diet and exercise which they can adopt into their own lives.” 

Tŷ Ffit is broadcast on S4C every Tuesday at 9pm. It is also available for streaming on S4C Clic, BBC iPlayer and other platforms. English subtitles are available. You can also follow the exclusive Tŷ Ffit plan on the website: www.s4c.cymru/tyffit

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