A big year for Rownd a Rownd in 2025 saw chaos unfold in a major birthday episode marking 30 years. One character who ended up in the midst of the drama was Rhys, who was left in a serious condition following a car crash.
For soaps overall this year, many marked big anniversaries from 40 years of EastEnders to 65 of Coronation Street. Eastieoaks.com sat down with actor Meilir Rhys Williams, who is marking a milestone of his own, having played mechanic Rhys for almost 10 years.
On why representation matters
Going back to the start, Meilir explained, ‘When I first joined, the producers said they wanted to present this as a character who is very comfortable in who they are – a nuanced, layered person. I’ve never felt stereotypical or cliché when it comes to playing a gay character. I’m really lucky that we’ve been able to navigate away from those stereotypes very successfully.’
‘It’s important that young people watching see themselves. If Rhys can help with that, then I’m really proud of it.’
Viewers will know that starting a family has been an ongoing discussion for Rhys and Trystan prior to the accident, and for the couple, we have been warned ‘there are gonna be a few more distractions in the coming weeks which will delay the conversation from continuing between Rhys and Trystan about adoption.’
‘If Rhys and Trystan ever started a family, the adoption process would be fascinating to explore – such personal and difficult conversations that many viewers aren’t familiar with.’
Stunt work is all in a days work
The 30th anniversary storyline was not the first to see Meilir involved in a car-related stunt. ‘The accident that killed David was such a privilege to film. It was a three-day shoot for a ten-minute clip, and it was so exciting.’
‘For the 30th stunt, when a real car is being driven towards you, you listen to the stunt director. It was terrifying. The stunt performer did the hit in one take – jumped on the bonnet, broke the windscreen, rolled off. It made the edit so seamless.’
Rownd a Rownd airs Tuesday and Thursday on S4C at 8.25pm with catchup via Clic and iPlayer
Going big in a live episode
Fans, of course love a live episode, so we had to ask how Meilir feels if Rownd a Rownd ever went live. ‘A live episode would be nerve-wracking but exciting, and I’d have to dip back into my theatre toolkit. There’s an element of risk with a live episode, but that’s the fun of it. It would need a three-week rehearsal process – you’d have to run it like theatre – and it would need a storyline that supported a live episode, something dramatic that could hold that tension.’
For viewers new to the series
‘I think the joy and the success of Rownd a Rownd lies in the fact that the whole production is very careful in finding the balance between dramatic and light entertainment. I think the lighter aspect of the show is just as important as the dramatic aspect because life can be very difficult for people in real life. People watch shows for escapism most of the time, as much as entertainment, so the light-hearted charm of Rownd a Rownd is what keeps viewers coming back.
And also, we are very lucky that we have a very balanced age range within our cast, as well as older cast members and everything in between, which means we are able to portray and convey stories from different life events and different age groups that other programs may not have the opportunity to do. We have the school set, we film in a school, we film in the street, and all these different locations where we get to film, so there is a real variety of scenarios, characters, and stories that we have on Rownd a Rownd which keeps the viewers coming back.
We like to think it keeps viewers interested, and we are very proud of the show. We hope people continue to watch and enjoy it, and if people are hearing about it for the first time through this then I encourage people to tune in. Here is to the next 30 years.’