Countdown star Susie Dent has revealed that Gethin Jones sends her voice notes with tips on how to pronounce Welsh words. The dictionary corner regular, who has appeared on the Channel 4 show since 1992, said the Cardiff-born fluent Welsh speaker promises to teach her the language whenever they speak.
Dent's love for the Welsh language
Dent, 61, already speaks four languages fluently – English, German, French and Spanish – as well as Finnish to a good standard. Speaking to Lucy Owen on BBC Radio Wales, she said she has always wanted to learn Welsh.
"I've said for a long time that it's on my bucket list to learn Welsh," said Dent, who was born in Surrey. She described the language as being shaped through hopefulness and how powerful that could be. "There's something special and evocative about the Welsh language. I'd love to learn more about it," she said.
Voice notes and favourite Welsh words
Dent said Jones, 48, can be helpful when some words are challenging to say, with the Morning Live presenter regularly sending voice notes with pronunciation tips. "Whenever I speak to Gethin Jones he promises that he's going to teach me Welsh. If I can't pronounce a word he will send me a voice note so I don't fall flat on my face," she said. "One day I'm going to learn it," she added.
She also discussed some of her favourite Welsh words and words used in English that are of Welsh descent. Dent said: "Well 'pengwin' (penguin) is definitely one of them – mainly because Colin Murray [Countdown's main presenter] adores them."
She added: "Forgive me if I'm being very stereotypical – 'hiraeth' is one that everyone loves purely because there is something wistful about it. But I think only a Welsh speaker can really understand the word." She said it was similar with the word "cwtch". "I always thought it meant a simple hug but turns out it's so much more than that. It's about that sense of safety and refuge because I think 'cwtch' also means a cubbyhole."
Jones's sporting role
Away from sharing his Cymraeg tips, Jones has recently taken up a new sporting role away from TV. He spent some of his summer at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow alongside Team Wales as the nation's chef de mission. As part of the ambassadorial role, the Morning Live host was given the responsibility for leading and motivating athletes and support staff as part of the "team behind the team". The 48-year-old said he hopes it won't be his last job in the world of sport.
