
BBC Death Valley star praises 'grotty' and 'rainy' Wales
BBC Death Valley star praises 'grotty' and 'rainy' Wales
The lead of a new comedy crime drama set in Wales has said it was nice to be home as they filmed throughout South Wales.
Timothy Spall as John Chapel and Gwyneth Keyworth as Janie Mallowan
(Image: BBC )
BBC's new comedy crime drama Death Valley will debut this weekend, May 25, and is set in the gorgeous valleys back drop of Mountain Ash. Star Gwyneth Keyworth, who is originally from Aberystwyth, has shared a unique, but maybe familiar take on filming the big BBC series in her home country.
In the series, Gwyneth's character, detective sergeant Janie Mallowan, teams up with her favourite TV detective John Chapel, played by Timothy Spall, to solve crimes in their village in the Cynon Valley. The series also filmed scenes across South Wales, namely in the Vale of Glamorgan, Penarth, Cwmbran, Cardiff, Llantwit Major and the beautiful Brecon Beacons,
Gwyneth, who is known for starring in Game Of Thrones and The Crown, was very happy to be filming back home in Wales for a change. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter .
Despite admitting it "does rain loads", she said "It's delicious, it's nice to be home."
The actress added: "The people are nice, I'm going to be biased, but they are nice, and the landscapes are gorgeous.
"The show does capitalise on the beauty of Wales – it's a character – and it's also a bit grotty in places, and I love it loads."
Article continues below
Gwyneth Keyworth plays Janie, a Welsh detective with an obsession for old TV detective shows
(Image: BBC/BBC Studios/Jay Brooks )
The new series will air on Sunday, May 25 at 8.15pm on BBC One and the whole boxset will be launching on BBC iPlayer at the same time.
The series will comprise of six 45 minute episodes, and each episode will feature a new storyline, as the series follows a crime a week structure set across the different filming locations in Wales.
Timothy Spall also expressed his love for the beauty of Wales. The leading actor, who plays Janie's favourite TV detective, even calls it "god's country" at one point in the series.
He said: "I have worked in Wales a couple of times, and my wife and I also went all along the coast on our boat. I know every port along the way, so I've spent a bit of time there, the coast is so beautiful."
Timothy Spall plays the former TV detective John Chapel in Death Valley.
(Image: BBC/BBC Studios/Simon Ridgway )
Article continues below
Timothy continued: "Cardiff is a lovely, very friendly, and welcoming place. We were based in Cardiff, but you are half an hour away from the most exquisite countryside. Wales is extremely beautiful."
Death Valley airs on Sunday, May 25 at 8.15pm on BBC One and the whole boxset launches on BBC iPlayer at the same time.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
BBC The One Show fans distracted by Lulu's appearance as she makes candid confession
Lulu appeared on The One Show on Friday evening to discuss her upcoming tour and new memoir BBC viewers were rather taken aback by Lulu's appearance as she discussed her deeply personal project, which led her to seek therapy. The famous Scottish singer, 76, was a guest on Friday's (June 6) episode of The One Show, chatting about her impending tour and fresh memoir. Her new memoir, If Only You Knew, delves into her past and the singer, born Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie also known as Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, said it has felt like 'being let out of jail'. Chatting with presenters Alex Jones and Roman Kemp, she confessed finding the process of writing 'difficult', being called to share aspects of herself she previously kept 'assumed' and unspoken. The renowned performer acknowledged: "People think they know Lulu but no one knows you. I've always been very careful, very private and chatty but I keep a lot of things to myself. Now I'm talking about everything and this is because the landscape has changed.", reports Bristol Live. She elaborated on the shift in cultural dynamics: "When I was younger everything was a secret and there was a lot of shame because you didn't talk about things but today people talk about things and I think it's healthy. I've had an amazing life but there are certain things in my life that I've never discussed." In a moment of raw honesty, Lulu revealed: "I had to go to therapy because it was difficult not to unravel the things that I've been told not to say and the things I was assumed of. Once you've spoken about the things you're assumed of." She stated: "I have mental health issues, I've come through a lot, my family and it's things that I didn't want to talk about but I reveal it in the book, which is kind of like being let out of jail." While the singer opened up about her struggles, viewers at home couldn't help but notice her remarkably youthful looks, quickly taking to social media to voice their thoughts. One audience member noted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: "Lulu looks great for 76 #TheOneShow." Another viewer expressed: "#TheOneShow Lulu looks amazing! She looks so young. Love her! ." A different spectator shared their mixed feelings: "Lulu looking good but not my fave singer #TheOneShow."


Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
EastEnders star slams soap and says show was 'far from a highlight' of career
Jamie Foreman, who starred in EastEnders as Derek Branning from 2011 - 2012, has spoken out about his time on the soap, saying it 'wasn't the highlight of his career' Former EastEnders star Jamie Foreman, who played Derek Branning in the BBC soap has criticised his time on the show. The star, who played the role of a Branning brother from November 2011 until December 2012 has said the role was "far from a career highlight". Despite only being on the soap for a year, Derek Branning had a number of memorable storylines, including his affair with Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace), who was married to Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) at the time. In 2012, Derek starred as a main part of the Christmas Day episode, in which he had a heart attack and died. However, despite the huge storylines, actor Jamie Foreman has revealed his time on the soap wasn't a "highlight" in his career at all. Speaking on the Lewis Nicholls Show, Jamie said: 'I'm going to be a little bit controversial here. I don't see EastEnders as anywhere near the highlight of my career. It was another job. "And I know how iconic it is for people out there, and I respect it and what it represents, especially for the BBC. But for me… they'd asked me so many times before.' Jamie then revealed he was out filming in Germany when he got the phone call offering him the role - "again." He was then told he'd be "joining the best family," and could join for however long he wanted. "I said, 'I only want to do it for a year,'" he said. Explaining his reasoning behind his short stint, Jamie revealed he didn't want to get burn out, or become "trapped" when he had other work behind him. However, Jamie went on to reveal that the soap "made promises they never kept". Jamie claims he was told he wouldn't have to work on Saturdays - although he later claimed: "I did every Saturday. I was the first in, last out every day.' Speaking on the long hours, Jamie revealed he once filmed "36 scenes in a day," claiming working on a soap "burnt him out." Despite this, Jamie said he was thankful for the experience, although it was "far from a highlight of his career." Since departing Walford, Jamie has Double Decker Driving School, Birds of a Feather and Porters, to name a few.


Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
BBC star says broadcaster has axed her popular shows after decade on screen
The popular star claims that the TV industry 'doesn't always support Muslim women like me' Nadiya Hussain has revealed that her cookery shows have been dropped by the BBC after a decade on air. The TV chef has fronted several food series for the BBC since winning The Great British Bake Off in 2015 - when the show was on BBC1 - including Nadiya Bakes, Nadiya's Fast Flavours and Nadiya's Simple Spices. But in a video post on Instagram, Hussain said BBC bosses had "decided they didn't want to commission the show any more", which she described as a "huge turning point'. A BBC spokesperson said: "After several wonderful series we have made the difficult decision not to commission another cookery show with Nadiya Hussain at the moment. "Nadiya remains a much-valued part of the BBC family, and we look forward to working together on future projects.' Suggesting that the TV industry 'doesn't always support Muslim women like me', the mother-of-three told her followers: "The BBC have decided that they didn't want to commission a show. And for me, that was a huge turning point because it's something I've done for the past 10 years. "I was already on this steady trajectory of change and I was thinking about where I wanted my career to go, and when the BBC decided they didn't want to commission the show anymore, it really did kind of solidify everything for me, and it made me dig my heels in and think 'OK, I know where I want to be'.' She added: 'As a Muslim woman, I work in an industry that doesn't always support people like me or recognise my talent or full potential. "There's a lot of gaslighting, making me feel like what's actually happening isn't happening." Nadiya's other series for the BBC have included Everyday Baking and Nadiya's Cook Once Eat Twice, which focused on leftovers, as well as the documentary Nadiya: Anxiety and Me. She remains one of the best known contestants to have appeared on Bake Off, and is the only one to have carved out a career as a TV presenter off the back of it.