BBC Radio 2 presenter Vernon Kay praised Llandudno as a 'beautiful town on the north coast of Wales' during his show on 26 June 2026. The 52-year-old broadcaster made the comment within the first 11 minutes of his programme while giving shout-outs to listeners.
Shout-Out to Listener Arnie
Kay singled out a listener named Arnie, who was based in Llandudno Junction. Upon realising the location, Kay said: 'Arnie is fourth at Llandudno Junction, 29 degrees I know it very well. Beautiful town on the north coast of Wales. Been on the Great Orme many, many times.'
New Direct Train Service Boost
The praise comes weeks after Llandudno received a major boost with the announcement of a new direct train service from Liverpool. The service eliminates the need for passengers to change trains at Chester, reducing journey time to around one hour and 45 minutes with trains running approximately once per hour, according to the Express.
Transport for Wales stated that the change would increase services on the North Wales Coast Line by about 50 percent. Colin Lea, Transport for Wales' planning and performance director, said: 'We're now just days away from delivering a major improvement to rail services as part of Network North Wales. The new timetable will bring more frequent trains and better connections for our customers in North and West Wales. These changes represent a significant step forward, with a simpler, more consistent timetable and increased capacity across some of our busiest routes. Alongside the introduction of pay as you go, we're making it easier than ever for people to choose rail and travel sustainably.'
Olivia Rodrigo's Visit
Llandudno has also attracted attention from pop star Olivia Rodrigo. The 23-year-old singer visited the town and recounted her experience on Capital Radio with Jordan North. She described struggling with a credit card that didn't work outside America, leaving her unable to buy food. She recalled: 'I was in this tiny little town called Llandudno. I had a credit card that didn't work in any place that wasn't America, and nobody took it and I had no food at the hotel. I was just wandering around Wales and I couldn't find anything to eat, and then my card worked in a place that served sausage rolls, so I just ate sausage rolls for a whole day. Then I think like a pub took my card too, so I had like sausage rolls and like white wine. That's like all I had that day. Kind of cool. Looking back kind of a great memory.'
