The Cymru Connection: Is Elis James linked to everyone in Wales?
It is the most natural thing in the world to look for common ground with someone you have just met.But every week, BBC presenter and comedian Elis James goes one step further by testing the stereotype that people from Wales, a country of more than three million people, somehow all know each other.The Cymru Connection, where James has 60 seconds to find a mutual connection, began in earnest when a Welshman living in Japan called James' Radio 5 Live show and podcast last year."I discovered [the caller] was from Aberystwyth," said James. "Within 20 seconds I derailed the call and I named about 20 people from Aberystwyth and he knew about 18 of them."We thought 'there might be a feature in this'."
The hurried and tense one-minute exchanges have had hundreds of thousands of views across TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, with listeners from outside Wales often amused - if slightly baffled."This is genuinely a superpower," said one person in the social media comments."Nah, just genuinely Welsh," replied another.So far 30 callers have put James to the test, with his success rate hovering just north of 50%.
James, from Carmarthenshire, believes it is instinctive for people from Wales to try to find a mutual connection."I've never been on holiday without bumping into a Welsh person and then after about half a minute you're like, 'well do you know so-and-so if you're from Merthyr?' and they always do."Together with his co-host, comedian John Robins, James said the feature "clearly has resonated with our Welsh listeners".The desire to connect is not a phenomenon exclusive to the Welsh."I find that people from the north of England do it and certainly the Irish and the Scots do it," said James."In the south-east of England I think there's too many people, too many places."
James believes the urge to connect is particularly relevant to people from smaller countries."I was doing stand-up in Brussels and there was a guy in the front row who'd been taught by my auntie and uncle," he said."All the Americans thought it was a set up and all the people from smaller countries were like 'no, no, that makes sense'."I [also] did stand-up in Auckland in New Zealand. On the first night, I'd only been in the country a couple of days, there was a girl from Lampeter and she knew my auntie's farm."
It is one thing to find these links organically, but under time pressure it becomes harder. As The Cymru Connection theme music kicks in each week, James is often seen putting his head in his hands. "I find it immensely stressful," he said. "It pays off because as long as I Cymru Connect I'm floating on air for hours. If I fail I'm incredibly depressed for about a day."Often if I'm wearing a jumper or a jacket I've got to take it off because I start to sweat. So the head in hands, that's genuine, it's very, very authentic, I'm not putting it on for effect."I always start with where people grew up and where they went to school, and how old they are."The stats have proven it doesn't always work. But that's where I begin."
James and Robins have worked together for more than a decade - firstly on XFM and now for the BBC - but have been friends for much longer."It's quite an interesting thing to observe because it's obviously a very natural interaction for Welsh people," said Robins, from Bristol."I watch Elis connecting thinking 'is this really happening every week?' and it is. It's on national radio."But why is it happening? Dr Martin Graff, a psychologist at the University of South Wales, believes "we all want to meet people who have a degree of familiarity to ourselves"."In Wales there's three million of us – we're a fairly exclusive club. Therefore when we meet someone Welsh it's kind of thrilling."From an evolutionary angle, meeting someone who is familiar makes them more predictable."If people's behaviour is more predictable we feel safer in their company."Born and bred in Bridgend, I couldn't finish my interview without putting James to the test - could he find a Cymru Connection with me?Robins, who acts as adjudicator, declared in advance that mutual BBC colleagues did not count.Despite that, after roughly 45 seconds, James managed to name somebody he knew who was in the year above me at school.Job done - our very own Cymru Connection.
Elis James & John Robins airs at 13:00 on Fridays on BBC Radio 5 Live and the podcast is available on BBC Sounds
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