Welsh Soap Pobol y Cwm To Celebrate Its 40th Birthday

IT HAS launched the careers of a host of famous faces including giving Big Brother star, model and tabloid regular Imogen Thomas her acting debut.

The first episode of Pobol y Cwm was broadcast on 16th October 1974, and to mark its 40th birthday, some familiar faces will return to the village of  Cwmderi with shocking storylines that will knock some of the series' key characters sideways.

To mark Pobol y Cwm's historic milestone, the Clucker thought it would look back at some famous faces who have starred in the soap. 

We managed to uncover footage of Welsh stars Imogen Thomas (pic below) and Hollywood star Ioan Gruffudd who have both starred in the long-running show.

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Former Miss Wales, Imogen, 31, a fluent Welsh speaker, made a cameo appearance in the soap back in 2006.

She made her acting debut, appearing as herself, when she was invited as a VIP guest at the opening of a car garage run by entrepreneur Ronald Steadman and his trophy wife Lucy.

Imogen said at the time: "It's great to be asked to appear on Pobol y Cwm. My family watch it, and I used to watch it when I was living at home."

Watch Imogen's acting debut in the clip below.

The soap also launched the career of Ioan Gruffudd, 40, who played Gareth Wyn Harries between 1987 and 1994.

Soon after, Ioan's acting career took off when he landed the lead role in the TV remake of Poldark in 1996. 

He went on to become Lancelot in King Arthur and Mr Fantastic in Hollywood superhero blockbuster Fantastic Four.

He is now playing Dr Henry Morgan, an immortal medical examiner, in up-coming American drama series Forever.You can see Ioan in Pobol y Cwm in the clip below.

Another famous face that is making waves in the world of showbiz is Alexandra Roach, who played troublesome teen Elin Owen. Her character Elin had an affair with the vicar in the soap.

Alexandra, 26, (pic below) from Ammanford, left the series in 2005 after being accepted to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and went on to to star in The Iron Lady as a young Margaret Thatcher.

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She can currently be seen in the second series of Channel Four's conspiracy thriller Utopia.

Alexandra ended up landing the role in Pobol y Cwm after visiting a friend's house. 

She said:"I was about 11, and I just went over to my mate's house on a Saturday and knocked on her door to see if she wanted to come out and play.

"And she said she was going to a drama club with her sister, and did I want to go?

"So I went along, and that day they were doing an open casting for Pobol y Cwm.

"I'd never really acted before, and I just gave it a go and got the part. I think that's why I'm so comfortable on sets now, because of all the hours I put in as a child. "

As part of the 40th birthday celebrations, some lucky fans will get the chance to visit the Pobol y Cwm set in Roath Lock, Cardiff Bay.

Siân Gwynedd, Head of Welsh Programmes and Services, BBC Wales, said: “Pobol y Cwm has been an important and integral part of Welsh life since it first appeared in 1974. 

"During this time the series has entertained and fascinated viewers with compelling, emotional and memorable stories. 

"Thanks must go to the cast, writers and production crew who have ensured the series' success for so long, and to the current team who will lead the series to the next 40 years.”

Dafydd Rhys, S4C Content Commissioner, said: "It's hard to believe that four decades have passed since we met the Cwmderi characters for the first time. 

"From the early days of the channel Pobol y Cwm has claimed a prominent place in the S4C schedule as one of our major drama series, and it will continue to be at the heart of our future broadcasts. 

"Congratulations to all those who have been part of the production from the very beginning - forty years is quite an achievement. 

"This is an important milestone for broadcasting in Welsh and we look forward to birthday celebrations in the autumn."

Further events will be announced soon to celebrate the four decades of the series.

To keep up-to-date with all the latest showbiz and celeb gossip from Wales, follow the Weekly Clucker on Twitter @weeklyclucker. 

Voice Of An Angel Charlotte Church Goes Sci-Fi

"I'M SORRY PEOPLE OF WALES, I've gone a bit weird," Charlotte Church said to camera on her fly-on-the-wall documentary showcasing her dramatic change in musical direction. 

The Weekly Clucker watched gobsmacked as Voice of An Angel Charlotte Church showcased her new brand of experimental science-infused music in BBC One Wales documentary Charlotte Church: In Her Own Voice.

Charlotte (pic below) has taken an incredibly gutsy step in performing this material with an image that we've never seen before, with UV make-up, a metal-cage jellyfish-type light dress and tentacles that reach out into the audience. 

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She's on a mission - without the financial backing of a major record label - to make sure her music doesn't fall on deaf ears. 

"I want to do some things on my own terms from my own weird creative brain which has developed rather weirdly due to my crazy life,' she said on the documentary. 

"I sort of got disillusioned with music and stuff and the whole shebang and I was thinking about moving away to a hut in Nepal and then I sort of thought 'No', I have to do music. I have to sing. I just have to. It's not really a choice, it's a compulsion."

Charlotte, 28, from Cardiff, revealed how she discovered her confidence to write her own music after she met her partner, muscian and co-writer Jonathan Powell in 2010.

She described her new sound as "jam-packed full of rhythms and funk and loads of riffs and lots of hooks." 

She said: "It's really intense music and it's an assault on the senses a lot of the time and you have to think about it. It's not really just chuck it on in the background, a bit of easy-listening." 

Charlotte revealed her recent interest in science and physics influenced her songwriting on her latest EP called EP Four.

She said: "I've got massively into science and physics recently. I say 'massively', I read the New Scientist and I have dreams of going to university to do a degree in physics. And anyway there's a lot of songs on EP Four which are a little bit scientific in nature, for example, there is a song called Entanglement, which is about entanglement theory...."

She added: "I've never ever considered myself really a very creative entity before. I bloody well do now but that's only because I've really pushed myself I feel, and it's been an incredible thing to do."

Watch the video below for her song Little Movements from EP Four, which was filmed in Cardiff. 

 

Charlotte's homecoming gig in Cardiff where she showcased her new sound featuring songs from EP Four followed the documentary (watch the trailer for the Entanglement concert below). 

The Clucker was so absorbed by her visually striking and vocally expressive performance, we've been listening to EP Four in the office. 

And there's so many layers to the EP, the more you listen to it, the more it grows on you. 

Charlotte said: "I still feel like I'm sort of on a bit of a musical journey, which is really cheesy, but I can't think of any other way to say it. 

"It's exploratory. I'm still finding exactly what it is that I want to do but I haven't finished yet."

Charlotte's on a mission, and we wish her all the best. Hats off to you, Charlotte Church! 

Find out more about Charlotte Church and EP Four on her official website http://charlottechurchmusic.com/
 
 EP Four Track Listing:

1. Entanglement
2. Love Alone
3. Little Movements
4. Death and Mathematics
5. Hood Shade
6. Love

If you thought this blog post was a ruddy good read, why not follow us on Twitter @weeklyclucker.

What's The Big Deal About The Chiltern Firehouse?

THE CHILTERN FIREHOUSE seems to have taken over as the number one London restaurant for celebrities to dine out and get themselves papped at the same time.

The cream of Welsh A-listers have also been drawn to the exclusive hangout with their photos ending up in the next day's tabloids after being snapped by the paparazzi at the Chiltern Firehouse's imposing black gates.

Mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, 34, from Neath, who was most recently photographed at the star-studded Nordoff Robbins O2 Silver Clef awards (pic below)  has dined out on more than one occasion in the last couple of months at the restaurant.

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She appeared with her husband-to-be Andrew Levitas following a day at the races at Royal Ascot on 19th June and then arrived for dinner again just over a week later.

Meanwhile, model Danielle Lineker, 35, from Cardiff, stepped out alone at the trendy eatery at the end of last month, without husband Gary, who is currently in Brazil, hosting the BBC's coverage of the World Cup.

Danielle, who was invited to Prime Minister David Cameron's Best of Britain's Creative Industries event last week (see pic below),  was also papped at the Chiltern Firehouse as she joined Carly Cole, wife of Aston Villa football star Joe Cole, for a girls dinner.  

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And back in May, Danielle was pictured leaving the restaurant with husband Gary just two weeks after their first visit.

Kelly Jones, 40, from Cwmaman, lead singer of the Stereophonics, dined at the restaurant with his wife Jakki Healy on June 3.

So, what is the big deal about The Chiltern Firehouse, and why is it a magnet for the celebs from Wales?

The Clucker's first stop was to visit the restaurant's website http://www.chilternfirehouse.com/ .

This restaurant is so exclusive, the website only has one page. There's a picture of the restaurant, details of the address at 1 Chiltern Street in Marylebone, London, and a phone number and email address to make a reservation.

And the name of André Balazs at the foot of the page. Who is André Balazs?

The Clucker did more digging.

Mr Balazs is a Hungarian-born hotel magnate who owns the Chiltern Firehouse. The hotelier, who also owns the Chateau Marmont Hotel in Los Angeles and The Mercer Hotel in New York, revamped the Grade II listed former purpose-built fire station into a swanky New York-style brasserie, opening its doors last year.

The 200 capacity restaurant's clientele are greeted by top-hatted doormen and escorted through a garden courtyard to their tables. 

Once inside, they are able to see a busy open kitchen, high ceilings, large mirrors and low-hanging lights.

Tracey MacLeod, The Independent's restaurant critic, described the inside of the restaurant in her review. 

She said: "There's a NYC vibe to the place, with its sharply-costumed greeters and throngs of beautiful rich people (no place here for the unconventionally shaped).

"The dining room, too, doesn't look like anywhere else in town. They've kept the huge firehouse doors, giving an almost rustic feel, while cleverly-placed mirrors create the illusion of infinite space.

"And there's a theatrically open kitchen, in which the full spectrum of cheffly beards are on display."

Who might you clock sitting at the next table? 

David Beckham, Simon Cowell, the One Direction boys, Lindsay Lohan, Nigella Lawson, Kate Moss, Rita Ora, Bradley Cooper, Paloma Faith, Naomi Campbell and Ellie Goulding have all been spotted at the eatery.

So, what's on the menu? 

The kitchen is led by Portuguese head chef Nuno Mendes.

Celebs can choose from culinary delights such as crab-stuffed doughnuts, chargrilled Iberico pork, steak tartare, fried chicken, blackened salmon, the Firehouse Caesar salad, sweet potato pureéd with bourbon, and frozen apple panna cotta with toasted meringue and a herb granita. 

How much do the celebs have to fork out for a meal? 

Clearly, it's not cheap to eat out at the Chiltern Firehouse but apparently it's not over-the-top expensive either.

The Telegraph estimates a main course costs £25 while three courses will set you back about £41. 

According to Tracey MacLeod of the Independent, you can expect to pay around £200 for a dinner for two including wine and service while brunch costs £20 a head. 

The Guardian reckons it will cost you £75 a head with drinks and service.

You might think this all sounds pretty affordable, and you may be tempted to reserve a table. Well, unless you're a celeb or able to date a celeb, you may as well forget about it. 

The Telegraph reported that the Chiltern Firehouse has a strict screening policy that puts famous faces to the front of the queue before us ordinary civilians. 

Tom Parker-Bowles of the Daily Mail, in his review, summed up how difficult it is to get a  table. He said: "The place is hotter than the surface of the Sun. I reckon even God would have to wait for a table." 

You can keep up-to-date with all the latest celebrity and showbiz tittle-tattle from Wales by following the Weekly Clucker on Twitter @weeklyclucker.

"I Almost Lost An Eye." Luke Evans Reveals His Near Sword Stunt Miss On Dracula Untold Set

LUKE EVANS has told fans he almost lost an eye while filming sword stunt scenes as Dracula in his up-coming blockbuster Dracula Untold.

Vampire movie fans caught their first glimpse of the star as Dracula when the official trailer was released online by Universal Pictures on Friday, after it was leaked earlier this week.

Luke (pic below), 35, from Aberbargoed, plays Prince Vlad III 'The Impaler' Tepes, the man who went from Romanian royalty to becoming cinema's best-known bloodsucker.

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In a question and answer session with his fans on Twitter today, he revealed he almost lost an eye while he was performing his own sword stunt scenes. 

The star revealed that he embarked on a seven week training regime to get himself in shape for the part of Dracula, which he said was one of the most difficult roles he had ever played. 

He tweeted: "I trained for seven weeks before we started shooting. I have several stunt and sword heavy fight scenes. These are super dangerous if you don't rehearse and get the accuracy every time. 

"I almost lost an eye. It can be super dangerous but very exciting."

He told fans about his gruelling 76 day shoot for the vampire flick. 

He tweeted: "We shot for 76 days and I worked every day and on the weekends, often trained for the up-coming fights." 

Dracula Untold is being hyped as a new take on the well-trodden vampire legend by telling the untold origin story of the creature of the night. 

Luke, who is also set to star as The Crow in a reboot of the comic book film, told fans: "I love a good origin story and so to start at the beginning of the life of such a famous literary figure is very exciting." 

He revealed he celebrated with a bottle of champagne on a Miami beach when he was told he had landed the role of Dracula. 

He tweeted: "I was on the beach in Miami just before Xmas last year. I celebrated with a bottle of Bollinger!" 

Having seen the official trailer (watch below), we all agree at The Weekly Clucker, that Dracula Untold seems to take a more action-based slant on the ancient tale rather than being an all-out blood-soaked horror. 

Prince Vlad seeks to protect his kingdom from an army of Turkish invaders by sacrificing himself to an ancient vampire played by Charles Dance, setting in motion his tranformation into becoming Dracula.

However, Luke promised there will be blood in the movie, which he dubbed "mainstream" in an interview with Total Film.

He said:"It's incredibly relatable. We're dealing with the human as much as we're dealing with the vampire. What we see in this film is a human transforming into a vampire. 

"We see the whole journey, and it's dark. It's very dark and there's blood. I don't think you could shoot a movie about Dracula without there being blood. 

"Vlad was a warrior and a fighter, so there's a huge amount of battles as well as special effects and stunts. It was probably the hardest I've worked post The Hobbit." 

He said the greatest challenge he faced with the role of Dracula was portraying the bloodsucker as a character that an audience could relate to. 
   
He told Total Film: "A lot of people, when you mention the word "Vlad", they think of this man who impaled people in forests and the very gory nature of his legacy. 

"Vlad Tepes also reigned over a peaceful kingdom for a long time in a very turbulent Europe, where smaller countries were contstantly being invaded. 

"I wanted to make sure we were telling the full story of a man, who was not only a ruthless warrior and did some very dark ruthless things but who also had a family, and was loved and revered by his people and his enemies, who respected him as a law-giver, a warrior and a leader. 

"So I guess that was the challenge, not to allow people just to think of him as a crazy killer and impaler but also as a man who led his people and successfully stopped the Ottoman invasion through his country. So there's a lot to him actually." 

Dracula Untold is set to be released in cinemas from October 3.
 
Keep up with all the latest celeb and showbiz news from Wales by following The Weekly Clucker on Twitter @weeklyclucker.

The Weekly Clucker Album Review: The Studio Sessions by Sophie Evans

WEST END STAR SOPHIE EVANS released her debut album 'The Studio Sessions' this week. 

And the Clucker has been giving it a ruddy good listen in the office.

The 21-year-old singer (pic below) from Tonypandy made her breakthrough in 2010 when she came runner-up in Over The Rainbow, the BBC's talent search for a performer to play the role of Dorothy in Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber's stage production of The Wizard of Oz.

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She went onto play the role of Dorothy full-time on the West End stage in February 2012 until the show closed in the same year. 

And she made her big screen debut as Becky Salt in Edgar Wright's science fiction comedy The World's End starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, released last year.

Her first studio album is a six-track record where she strips back some of her favourite songs, to feature just her voice and a piano. 

Sophie, who recently starred in the BBC's star-studded production of Under Milk Wood, said: "It's crazy to think that it's been four years since the BBC Over The Rainbow show, and what an incredible journey it's been!

"But whilst the glitz and glamour of London's West End and the red carpet movie premieres have been fantastic experiences, for me it has always been about doing what I love to do - entertaining audiences through my singing.

"I'm so excited to be able to share a more intimate take on my best-loved songs on this album. We've had so much fun in the recording sessions, and I hope people enjoy this record as much as we did making it." 

Sophie's debut album begins with a stripped back version of her signature song 'Over The Rainbow.' The unembellished production combined with Sophie's voice has the effect of packing the song with pure emotion. 

'Over The Rainbow' is a flavour of things to come on the album, which showcases Sophie's beautifully melodic voice with just a piano to accompany her. 

She takes on classic 'Imagine' for track two, the best-selling single of John Lennon's career, and makes it her own by putting her unique stamp on it. Watch Sophie sing 'Imagine' below. 

Sophie reveals her versatility for track three by putting her own spin on Swedish House Mafia's dance anthem 'Save The World'. Her version dispenses with the thumping bassline and drumbeats and transforms it into a starkly, moving song. 

She returns to a classic for track four with a cover version of Elton John's ballad 'Your Song' and on track 5, she sings 'Part Of Your World' from the Disney animated movie The Little Mermaid, originally recorded by American actress and singer Jodi Benson, in her role as Ariel in the film. 

The album finishes on an emotive note with a longer and alternate version of 'Over The Rainbow'.

The Clucker gives the thumbs up to this album, which presents another side to the West End star. 

If this is how accomplished Sophie is on her first album, we're sure there'll be even greater things to come from the star in the future. 

The Clucker urges you to buy this album! Go, on. Get your hand in your pocket. You can buy it by clicking on this link http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Studio-Sessions-Limited-Edition/dp/B00K8E3A6E

Sophie will be officially launching The Studio Sessions with a live show at Acapela studio in Pentrych, Cardiff, on Thursday 3 July. Tickets are a tenner and doors open at 7.30pm

You can also find out how to buy tickets as well as all the latest news about Sophie on her official website at http://www.sophieevansofficial.com/

Sophie Evans: The Studio Sessions track listing:

1. Over The Rainbow
2. Imagine
3. Save The World
4.Your Song
5. Part Of Your World
6. Over The Rainbow (alternate version)

Do you like to read musical album reviews by Welsh singing superstars? Bookmark this blog and follow us on Twitter @weeklyclucker. 

Jenna Gets Back In Front Of TV Cameras For Welsh Reality Show

JENNA JONATHAN got herself back in front of the TV cameras again after MTV pulled the plug on The Valleys.

The 23-year-old star from Tonyrefail shrugged off the shock news that MTV will not be renewing The Valleys for a fourth season by getting stuck into filming for S4C's reality show Cariad@Iaith.

She has joined up with seven fellow celebrities to learn Welsh in a week at the remote Nant Gwrtheyrn, a residential Welsh language course centre located in a former quarrying village on the northern coast of the Llŷn Peninsula in North Wales - 168 miles miles away from Cardiff, the Welsh capital.

Jenna has teamed up with Ian "H" Watkins AKA "H" from Steps, Big Brother 14 winner Sam Evans, legendary Everton and Wales goalkeeper Neville Southall, weather presenter Behnaz Akhgar, Casualty star Suzanne Packer, ex-Emmerdale star Sian Reeves, and John Owen-Jones, actor and singer. 

She told one of the show's presenters Matt Johnson in an interview (see video below) before the show airs tomorrow: "I love Wales. I'm really patriotic so I think I should know the language.

"I'm really competitive and stuff, so I think I'll do it. Well, I know I will."

The reality star revealed her nerves in being filmed despite her wild partying antics on The Valleys. 

She tweeted: "Awake and I'm excited/terrified to start filming @S4cariad today haha!!"

She also had to get used to being woken up by television cameras again. She tweeted: "Been a while since I've been woken up with a camera in my face....looking forward to the first proper day today!!"

Jenna has had to swap the glamour and glitz of city life for the mud of outdoor activities as part of the reality show. 

She successfully tackled an obstacle course at the Bear Grylls Survival Academy in the Dragon Raiders Activity Park near Criccieth on the peninsula. 

She tweeted: "Never been so covered in mud in my life. Thanks for that @S4cariad....shower time!"

After wrapping up her first day's filming at Nant Gwrtheyrn, she tweeted that the location was "such a beautiful place" and posted a stunning sunset picture of its rugged coastline.

Fellow celebrity contestant weather presenter Behnaz Akhgar told her Twitter followers that she was struggling to get to grips  with the Welsh language. 

She tweeted with a picture of Nant Gwrtheyrn's coastline: "Today's view. It just keeps getting better and better @NantGwrtheyrn1. Wish my Welsh was as impressive. #struggling."

Two programmes introducing the celebrities will be aired on S4C on Wednesday 11 and Friday 13 June at 8.25pm. 

This Morning presenter Matt Johnson, 31, from Caerphilly and Nia Parry will then bring the latest gossip from "The Nant" on Cariad@Iaith: Love4Language every night between Monday 16 June and Friday 20 June at 8.30pm and 9.25pm. 

The series winner will be crowned in the final which will take place on Saturday 21 June at 8pm. 

To keep up to date with the latest info about the series you can follow @S4cariad on Twitter. 

Meanwhile, Lateysha Grace (pic below) proved that you don't need a reality show to be a reality TV star by making the pages of the Daily Star. 

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She looked unfazed by the news that The Valleys had been axed by MTV while she was snapped relaxing in the pool during a week's holiday in Ibiza. 

The 21-year-old from Port Talbot flew to the sunshine party island in the Mediterannean Sea with her personal trainer.

 MTV confirmed its decision to cancel The Valleys by releasing a statement that said: "The Valleys has performed exceptionally well with three seasons behind it. 

"However, with our audience always looking for new and engaging content, we're focused on developing new original programme ideas for the MTV schedule such as new smash hit Ex On The Beach to sit alongside returning favourites like Geordie Shore."

Make The Weekly Clucker your home of the latest celebrity and showbiz gossip by following us on Twitter @weeklyclucker and bookmarking this page. 

 

EXCLUSIVE: "Nothing Lasts Forever" Valleys Star Natalee Breaks Silence After Show Is Axed

NATALEE HARRIS, STAR OF THE VALLEYS, has told the Weekly Clucker that she plans to emigrate Down Under after the show was dropped by MTV. 

Valleywood has been dealt a knock-out blow after MTV pulled the plug on its reality TV show The Valleys after three wild booze-fuelled seasons. 

Natalee Harris (pic below) contacted the Clucker on Twitter to open up about her feelings towards MTV's decision.

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She tweeted: "Nothing lasts forever." She added that she and her fellow cast members didn't expect the show to keep going with them still taking part in the show's booze-fuelled partying antics into their thirties. 

Natalee told the Clucker that she was planning to leave her showbiz life in Wales behind to emigrate to New Zealand or Australia and settle down to start a family.

She tweeted: "Off to college and uni to do nursing then emigrating to New Zealand or Oz.....Babies and mortgage."

Meanwhile Jenna Jonathan, Lateysha Grace, Nicole Morris, Carley Belmonte, Darren Chidgey, Jack Watkins, and Jason Suminski have been busy going about their daily business without making any public statement so far about MTV's decision to axe the show.

However, The Weekly Clucker did manage to contact Jason's twin brother and ex-cast member  Anthony Suminski from Pontypridd, who left the show in episode 2 of series 3. 

He told the Clucker on Twitter that his time on The Valleys was "over for me long time ago!" 

When The Clucker asked Anthony about whether he had heard any news from other cast members about the future of the show, he replied: "Only speak to Jack, Liam, Jason and Nat. Least of my worries tbh. My future does not involve The Valleys." 

Ex-cast member Anthony Suminski tweets The Clucker

The Valleys, which first aired on 25 September 2012,  peaked at 682,000 viewers in episodes five  and six of series one but viewing figures declined in series three, slumping to an all-time low of 424,000 viewers. 

The success of MTV's smash hit Ex On The Beach and the continuing popularity of Geordie Shore appear to have spelled the end for The Valleys. 

MTV UK released a statement, saying: "The Valleys has performed exceptionally well with three successful seasons behind it. 

"However with our audience always looking for new and engaging talent, we're focused on developing new original programme ideas for the MTV schedule such as new smash hit Ex On The Beach to sit alongside returning favourites like Geordie Shore." 

 So what does the future hold for the cast now? 

Jenna, 23, from Tonyrefail, has successfully secured her future on our TV screens by signing up for Welsh Language reality TV show Cariad@Iaith which will air on S4C at 8.25pm on Wednesday 11 June. 

Jenna told her followers on Twitter: "Attempting to pack for @S4cariad and I'm surrounded in mountains of clothes...where do I start?!"

Meanwhile, Lateysha has been attempting to re-launch herself as a pop-star by teaming up with US rapper D-Jukes to release a single called "You Beautiful" and a music video (watch below), which ironically premiered on MTV UK.  

Lateysha, who is currently soaking up the sun in Ibiza, retweeted a cryptic message from a Twitter user called The Illuminati, that read: "Keep the faith, keep working hard, and great things will come."

Keep up with all the latest showbiz tittle-tattle by following The Weekly Clucker on Twitter @weeklyclucker. 

Rhydian Interview: "Simon Cowell Told Me Not To Mention The Bible."

FORMER X-FACTOR RUNNER-UP RHYDIAN ROBERTS has revealed he was told by Simon Cowell to keep his Christian faith under wraps while he was a contestant on the talent show.

Rhydian (pic below) told Clare Balding in an interview on her Good Morning Sunday show on BBC Radio 2 today how he was put under pressure by the X-Factor boss not to talk about his faith.

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Rhydian said: "I remember the boss of the show - I'll name no names - said I'm not allowed to mention the Bible."

Clare Balding interrupted Rhydian by naming Simon Cowell. 

Rhydian, 31, from Sennybridge near Brecon, continued: "I said that's a bit odd. They said what books do you read? And I just put that [the Bible] down. Why not? It's a great book. But I wasn't allowed to, which is odd.

"It doesn't matter. I can see why they do it. They feel it can alienate people and sometimes professing your faith is controversial and not everybody is going to like it but it's important to me."

Rhydian was speaking to Clare Balding to promote his album One Day Like This, which reached its seventh week at number one in the classical charts today. 

Clare asked Rhydian, who finished runner-up behind Leon Jackson in the 2007 X-Factor final,  when he was able to start being his own person during the show. 

He said: "From day one. During that show, I respected him [Simon Cowell] and I towed the party line. I think it's important when you're in that bubble, which it is. He's an influential guy but as far as the TV company went I wasn't the most popular initially."

The star revealed he was releasing Pearl Fisher's Duet as a single, taken from his album One Day Like This, next Sunday, and had also finished filming a video for the song. Rhydian duets with himself on the song, which he said inspired him to become a singer. 

He said: "I just thought why not combine both of my voices? I've got a quite a high range. I'm a high baritone. I'm not a tenor but it's only a B flat with the tenor part and it was the song that made me want to become a professional singer. That melody is so beautiful."

He added:"I have not met anybody who doesn't like that song. I think it is a song that could be the next Nessun Dorma. I think if it's introduced more into the public domain, people might fall in love with it. I hope so."

Rhydian said the video for Pearl Fisher's Duet was filmed on the Jurassic Coast  (the Dorset and East Devon coast) in the UK. 

He said: "I think they filmed Broadchurch down there, in that area. There's two versions of me in the video, done with costumes and clothes. We also had a studio day where we had close-ups and stuff, and it was quite chilly but it's a beautiful part of the world. I'm going to release the video as well this coming week." 

Clare asked Rhydian whether he hated seeing himself on film. 

He answered: "I don't particularly like it. I don't think anybody does really. I'm glad I'm doing a body of work which looks good but to look at myself is a bit cringeworthy."

Rhydian also gave the inside story of how Nessun Dorma made it as the finale on One Day Like This. 

He said: "It was an accident. It was the bonus track on the end of the album and it worked out okay. I always wanted to do it so I thought it was a rousing way to finish the album."

(See below Rhydian's music video for Nights In White Satin - the lead track from One Day Like This).

Rhydian told Clare how fitness played a major part in achieving success in his singing career. 

He said: "I train six days a week. I always train before I go on stage. Some people find it a little bizarre. They think 'Why don't you reserve your energies for performance?' but I feel that I'm alive after I run. 

"I played a lot of competitive sport through school and university. I played a lot of rugby and I was a big guy, sixteen-and-a-half stone, pushing seventeen stone and not very tall. I was a big lad.

"I went to South Africa and I just decided I wanted to be a singer. I think looking seventeen stone and five foot nine and a bit, perhaps I should shed a bit of weight because I wanted to do musical theatre as well, so I did. 

"I lost nearly five stone and that was through running and a change of diet. And being in South Africa I could be outside and it lent itself more to extra-curricular activities. I coached cricket and rugby. 

"They had this run called 'bounds' which was a punishment but I used to do it anyway with the lads who had got punished just to increase my cardiovascular ability."

Clare asked Rhydian whether his fitness routine changed his perception of himself or his personality. 

He replied: "I don't know whether it changed my personality. I have always had structure in my life. I'm quite methodical and I just added to that really. 

"It's good because some days as a singer, you're very busy, you're doing a lot of promo and you're doing concerts but there other days where you're not doing a lot at all. 

"I find somebody like my personality needs structure so I always do my singing practice and my fitness and I feel like I've done a day's work."

Rhydian told Clare he discovered he had a voice when he was just three-years-old. 

He said: "I did want to be a singer alongside rugby. I discovered I had a voice when I was three-years-old and I used to get up at family parties and dinner parties. 

"I enjoyed it. I used to love getting up. Aled Jones was my hero at the time, singing 'Walking In The Air", and I used to mimic that and compete in eisteddfods. I loved it but I also had a passion for rugby. 

"I've said time and time again, it's not really cool to be a boy soprano and claim to be a hard rugby player as well, so I stopped singing which was the best thing I ever did between the ages of eleven and fourteen when the voice broke."

He said his decision to stop singing protected his voice for future success. 

He said: "I think a lot of people sing through the transition. I would not recommend that. I think it's better to have a rest, then when the voice breaks, then slowly, slowly, start having tuition with a great teacher." 

Rhydian said he had achieved his dream with the success of One Day Like This. 

He said: "People often say to me what's my highlight and I have to say that this album going to number one is the highlight of my career because I've always dreamed of having a number one classical album." 

Read The Weekly Clucker's review of Rhydian's album One Day Like This by checking out our earlier posts.

Get your fix of celeb, showbiz and TV gossip by following us on Twitter @weeklyclucker. 

Bonnie Tyler Reveals The Secret To Her 41 Years Of Marriage

BONNIE Tyler spoke of her 41 years of marriage to husband Robert Sullivan in a revealing interview with ITV's Kate Garraway, today. 

The 62-year-old singer from Skewen, who is famous for hits such as "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Holding Out For A Hero" appeared on ITV's Lorraine show hosted by Kate Garraway. 

Bonnie Tyler on ITV's Lorraine Show

Kate asked Bonnie how she and her husband Robert Sullivan, a property investor, had managed to stick together through 41 years of marriage and whether it was still founded on love for one another.

Bonnie said: "Yes, of course. It gets deeper doesn't it. I suppose you get comfortable. He's not a bad looking guy and he's very pleasant on the eye. We have a great time. We've had our ups and downs in those years. You would be a liar if you said you didn't."

Bonnie Tyler with her husband Robert Sullivan

The star talked about her enduring love for singing her old hits but revealed she wasn't fond of making the music videos to go with them. 

She said: "I still love singing them. I do a lot of live shows with my band all over the world. When it gets to "Total Eclipse" or "Hero", I just love the atmosphere it causes."

"I'm not very fond of making videos, anyway, although "Total Eclipse" got nominated for a Grammy and I lost out to Michael Jackson, so it's not so bad."

When Kate asked her whether she enjoyed taking part in last year's Eurovision Song Contest, she said: "I did believe it or not. I just chucked myself in at the deep end and I really enjoyed it. It was great. Of course, we knew we wouldn't win. Although, I did think Molly did have a good chance this year because that song she wrote was great but like I keep saying we've only got Ireland to vote for us."

Bonnie told Kate her thoughts about this year's bearded Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst (pic below).

#493401289 / gettyimages.com

Bonnie quipped:"Funny thing was, the next day [after the Eurovision song contest] one of my friends sent me a picture of myself with a beard and a moustache and said 'See, love, it could've been so different."

The singer also talked about her scheduled appearance in the Rewind South 80s Festival at Temple Island Meadows in Henley-On-Thames on August 17. A host of 80s bands and singers will be performing at the festival including UB40, The Boomtown Rats, Tony Hadley and Jimmy Somerville. 

Bonnie said: "I won't be with my band, I'll be with the house band. I'll be doing about four songs. It's going to be great."

For further information about the Rewind Festival, http://www.rewindfestival.com/

To keep up to date with all your celebrity and TV gossip from Wales, please follow the Weekly Clucker on Twitter @weeklyclucker. Thank you!