Mike Locke, the former Dirty Sanchez star known to fans as Pancho, has died at the age of 47. The Neath-born stuntman and skateboarder found fame on the cult noughties MTV show alongside Matthew Pritchard, Lee Dainton and Dan Joyce.
Tributes from San Portablo
The news of his passing was shared via San Portablo's Instagram on Friday morning, November 6. The clothing brand paid tribute to "an absolute Welsh treasure" and "all round Goodfella" who "lit up the world with his charm."
In the past decade, Locke had found success as the face of San Portablo, the Welsh clothing brand founded by his friend Nigel Hunt. Hunt set up the brand after losing his job at the nearby steelworks.
Pride in Port Talbot
WalesOnline spoke to Locke earlier in 2026, alongside Hunt. Locke spoke passionately about their town and why he was proud of San Portablo and what it meant to their hometown.
Locke said at the time: "It's the key to celebrating us, and the town and not being seen as this pass-through town that's hiding in the shadow of the steelworks. It's really tragic what's happened to the steelworks. My heart goes out to all the people who lost their jobs there, but at this moment in time the town is shining bright, and it's moving through a cultural phenomenon really."
He added: "It's become like Cymru Cool, like Port Talbot Cool, you know, it's got that vibe about it. Luckily with the shop, we live and breathe it every day. The way that we've embraced the culture and the street art culture which was prevalent here, we made a real scene out of it. It's something that we are very proud of."
Decade in business
Starting out with a stall in the middle of Aberavon Shopping Centre, San Portablo now has a permanent shop in the centre plus one at Cardiff Airport. The brand counts Fontaines DC and Michael Sheen amongst its fans, and 2026 marks a decade in business for the company.
