Owain Wyn Evans has arrived in Wales on his 400-mile cycle challenge for Children In Need, telling BBC Breakfast he was "absolutely zonked" after a long couple of days. The Ammanford-born BBC Radio 2 presenter is cycling from Welshpool on Thursday, November 12, heading to his finishing line in Cardiff on Friday.
A difficult day in Wales
Speaking via video link to Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt on BBC Breakfast, the 42-year-old admitted he was not feeling his best as he set off. Naga told him: "You're on two wheels, you're moving, your thumb's in the air Owain, you've got Pudsey on your back, the sun is shining... you're looking good."
Owain replied: "Oh Naga I tell you what I'm not feeling good today. It's been a long old couple of days and today is the day I've been kind of dreading. It's so weird, I'm back in Wales in my home nation but today's a long hilly day, wherever you look around us now, hills everywhere, my knee's playing up, got a bad back, I'm absolutely zonked."
During the interview, passers-by could be seen greeting him as he cycled past and shouted out greetings in Welsh to him.
Support and motivation
Naga continued: "Do you know what Owain, you may not know this, I have faith in you, loads of people have faith in you. and you wouldn't do this if you didn't know what you were doing it for and the impact, the difference you are going to make to people's lives."
"That's exactly it. It's what we're doing it for," added Owain, as he described meeting people and groups that had benefited from Children In Need in the run-up to his challenge.
Charlie admitted that watching him from the sofa was "making me feel a little bit guilty", but said with the sun shining it looked as though Owain was doing the Tour de France.
New to road cycling
A laughing Owain replied: "Charlie thank you. Well I tell you what, this is the first time I've been on a road bike. This is all very new to me but it shows you can get into something that's good for you if you put your mind to it."
"Am I enjoying it? Not with this knee and not with this back today but as you say look at this? I try to take it in as it's all so beautiful," he said of his surroundings near Welshpool.
Injury update from earlier this week
Owain's latest appearance on BBC Breakfast comes two days after he shared an injury with the programme. On Tuesday's show, presenter Emma Vardy asked him: "How are the legs?"
Owain replied: "Aw listen, receiving you loud and clear. The legs are alright, Emma. I have got a bit of a dodgy knee today. This happened last night, because we did a really steep climb just before we got to the ferry port. We're actually on one of our climbs today now, the first of the really long climbs. So, the legs are okay, but at the moment, the knee, actually, the knee is not okay."
BBC Breakfast is on BBC One weekdays at 6am and BBC iPlayer. Children In Need 2026 is on BBC One on Friday, November 13 from 7pm. Owain's journey can be followed on BBC Radio 2, BBC Sounds and at bbc.co.uk/owain.
