The new series of Iaith ar Daith continues on S4C at 8pm tonight with actress Rakie Ayola and her friend and mentor Eiry Thomas. Myself and other long term fans of Holby City will probably know Rakie best for playing Kyla Tyson.
Although Rakie now lives in London, she is proud of being Welsh and very keen to learn the language.
Rakie said: “I live very close to the start of the London Marathon. I have bought a Welsh flag – a big one – and everybody who runs past recognises the Welsh Dragon and reacts to it – and I love this. Some shout ‘Cymru am byth’ – and I shout it back. Now I want to learn more Welsh.”
And who better to help her than her old friend Eiry Thomas? The two met when they were in their teens when they both joined a youth theatre group at Llanover Hall in Cardiff and they have been good friends since then.
Eiry said: “So not only are we going on a trip across the country – we will also be going on a trip back in time.”
Rakie Eiry’s Iaith ar Daith adventure begins in Cardiff and they travel to the heart of Carmarthenshire, the Brecon Beacons, the South Wales Valleys and back to Cardiff – and there are sever and al surprises and challenges along the way.
As well as sharing a past, the two also share the same birthday – so what better way to begin their tour than a visit to cook Lisa Fearn’s café where the two have a go at decorating a birthday cake.
We see the student turn teacher as the two visit the Summit Climbing Centre in Trelewis. Rakie and her family love climbing and this is obvious as Rakie climbs one of the most challenging walls at the centre – Eiry isn’t quite as keen!
On the last day of their trip, Rakie faces her most challenging task in the Cyw studios in Cardiff Bay and goes on to meet a familiar face from her childhood in Cardiff.
All this and there’s lots more to discover in Iaith ar Daith with Rakie Ayola and Eiry Thomas on Sunday, 14 March on S4C. You can catch up with Steve Backshall and Iolo Williams’s journey on S4C Clic.