Latest news with #RhodGilbert
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Ian Smith: Foot Spa Half Empty review – struggle to conceive is fertile ground for stellar standup
Reviewing Ian Smith's breakout show Crushing two summers ago, I compared the Yorkshireman to Rhod Gilbert, another comic who gets very het up at the most trivial provocation. Smith's follow-up show mirrors Gilbert in a different way, by addressing an issue the Welshman became associated with in standup and documentary: infertility. Foot Spa Half Empty is about Smith's low sperm count, discovered as he and his partner start trying for a child. It arranges a suite of humiliating stories and manic overthinking comedy around the more substantial tale of our host's visit to a clinic to have his sperm tested – in Smith's hands, it's as surefire an anecdote for self-abasing standup as it's possible to imagine. Give or take a weak ending, it's a killer stage return from a man now increasingly recognisable from your TV screens. Not that fame has gone to his head; Google ('people also search for Robert Mugabe') has seen to that. He did briefly worry that success might defang a comic style rooted in anxiety and failure. But lo, big-time Smith still sweats the small stuff, and very funnily. See his section about being mocked for being a poor skier, another deconstructing the phrase 'wrong place, wrong time', and a memorable set piece about a gull with a steak knife in its beak harassing punters in a beer garden. These are big-impact routines, all the funnier for their tone of voice, which combines a relish for the absurd, an inability to let things go and an adhesive relationship with indignity. All come into play as the 36-year-old relates his fertility journey, which finds him buying a magic spell from Amazon ('And if that worked, I'm scared of that baby …'), roadtesting old wives' tales, and pontificating on the milestones that signal we're getting old – which include, in Smith's case, a father-son tutorial in extra-strong mints. You can bet that phrase 'extra strong' gets a workout from Smith: not a man to leave a casual figure of speech un-interrogated. It may be wearisome to possess, but Smith's worrisome personality is catnip for comedy lovers. With him at the mic, laughs, at least, go forth and multiply. At Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh, until 24 August All our Edinburgh festival reviews
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Three shows rescheduled to 2026 amid delay to venue's reopening
The Sands Centre has announced that three shows have been rescheduled to 2026 following news of the venue's reopening date being pushed back. The centre, which has been shut since 2023, was set to be open in autumn 2025 following the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) being found in the structure. However the reopening faced further delays following damage caused to the structure's roof on January 24 this year by the ferocious winds of Storm Eowyn. The Sands Centre Facebook page has now confirmed three shows have been rescheduled. The shows include: Rhod Gilbert's 'When life gives Rhod lemons' comedy gig, which is now set to take place on February 12 2026. The second show to be rescheduled is 'THE ELO EXPERIENCE', the 'world's foremost tribute to The Electric Light Orchestra.' This show is scheduled to take place on July 31 2026. The final announcement is 'Country Roads', a show that celebrates the 'Kings and Queens of Country music'. This show is scheduled to take place on November 27 2026. To keep up to date with the announcements, check The Sands Centre Facebook.
Wales Online
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Rhod Gilbert reveals his favourite Welsh takeaway, and another so good it made it into his wedding vows
Rhod Gilbert reveals his favourite Welsh takeaway, and another so good it made it into his wedding vows While on the Off Menu podcast, the comedian discussed two Chinese takeaway establishments that he was fond of in Carmarthenshire, one of which was even mentioned at his wedding. Rhod Gilbert has revealed his favourite Chinese takeaway restaurant in Carmarthenshire, which he first tried as a teenager (Image: CHANNEL4 ) Rhod Gilbert has revealed his favourite takeaway place in Carmarthen. The Welsh comedian choose his dream starter, main course, side dishes, desserts and drinks in a special episode of the Off Menu podcast, presented by fellow comedians Ed Gamble and James Acaster in front of a live audience at the London Palladium. While on the podcast, he discussed two Chinese takeaway establishments that he was fond of in Carmarthenshire, one of which was even mentioned at his wedding. After revealing that his favourite side dishes would consist of several form of potatoes and fried rice, Rhod revealed that he and his wife Sian had a song about Magic Wok - a Chinese takeaway based in Carmarthen. He went on to explain that the couple even had a song for the takeaway venue, which they sang to the BBC television show Animal Hospital's theme song. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . In front of the audience, he sang: "We gonna go to Magic Wok, we gonna go to Magic Wok, we gonna go to Magic Wok." His wife Sian, who was a member of the audience, then confirmed that the made-up song was actually mentioned in their wedding in 2013. Article continues below "We didn't sing it," Sian explained, before confirming it was mentioned by the celebrant during the ceremony. Sian continued: "She said something like, 'do you promise to love each other forever, even though you sing the Magic Wok song?'." Despite having a song dedicated to Magic Wok, Rhod later confirmed that the establishment had sadly closed, but that it wasn't his favourite takeaway restaurant in Carmarthen. "My favourite Chinese restaurant in Carmarthen is the Kwong Yick, where I had my first Chinese food as a teenager," he said. Rhod Gilbert confirmed that Kwong Yick on Water Street in Carmarthen was his favourite Chinese takeaway restaurant (Image: Google Maps ) Kwong Yick is situated on Water Street in the Carmarthenshire town, and it seems that Rhod isn't the only one in love with this Chinese takeaway restaurant, with some Google reviews praising it for its "good food" and "nice staff". During the podcast, the comedian also admitted he found it hard to make a decision when it came to choosing what to eat at a restaurant, which would often result him ordering several dishes. He said: "When I'm at a restaurant, I'll make excuses to go to the loo, I'll make excuses to go and look at a picture on the wall, I'll have a look what other people - I have terrible food envy, and I can never make up my mind because there is a lot of stress. "Eating out is a big thing and I want to get it right, I want to get the best thing on the menu." Article continues below He continued: "And so I quite often order several things." You can listen to Rhod Gilbert's episode from the Off Menu podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Wales Online
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Rhod Gilbert says his first meal out after cancer treatment ended with him standing naked in his garden
Rhod Gilbert says his first meal out after cancer treatment ended with him standing naked in his garden He had to throw his clothes in a bush and hose himself down The comedian spoke about the unfortunate mishap he had experienced after eating a Madras curry following his cancer treatment (Image: BBC ) Rhod Gilbert has spoken of the time he went out for a meal for the first time following his cancer treatment, which saw him end up naked in his garden. The Welsh comedian discussed the unfortunate experience in a special episode of the Off Menu podcast, presented by fellow comedians Ed Gamble and James Acaster in front of a live audience at the London Palladium. The podcast, which invites special guests into a magical restaurant, saw the Carmarthenshire-born comedian choose his favourite starter, main course, side dishes, desserts and drinks. For his imaginary main course, the comedian explained he would choose a Madras curry dish - something of which he was eager to eat following his cancer treatment. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . In 2022, the Carmarthenshire-born comedian was diagnosed with a little-known form of head and neck cancer. In August of that year, he began treatment and was given the all clear in 2023. While on the podcast, which he accompanied with his wife, Sian Harries, who was in the audience, he discussed what happened after he had gone out for a meal following his treatment. "After coming through the cancer thing," he said. Article continues below "I won't dwell on this, I will keep this brief, right? But I was on a feeding tube for a long time, so I couldn't eat or drink. "It was five hours in the night, seven hours overnight. It was pretty miserable, right? "So when I was better - thank you NHS and the wonderful doctors, when I got better I decided, I thought, I've missed food and eating, you know? "So I'm going to have a curry, and I thought, I'm going to have to take a risk because I had also got my gallbladder out." The comedian then explained that following his treatment, he had decided to go out for food and try a Madras curry dish while he was there. He continued: "I got through it and it was fine. I couldn't really taste a lot but it was a nice evening and everything. "And then the next day, I said to Sian, 'I'm going to take the dog for a walk'. "And then, about an hour later, I walked into the house with Rhosie our dog on the lead and I was completely naked. And Sian went, 'where the f*** have you been?', and I said, 'I've been walking the dog'." It turned out that the comedian had experienced an unfortunate mishap while walking his beloved hound. He explained: "Halfway home I started to panic and then I started running with the dog on the lead. "And now I realise, that's one of the worst things you can do. And five minutes from the house, I just exploded. Exploded into my trousers. And it was coming down my leg. "You know that scene in The Great Escape? When they are just kicking out the earth at the bottom of their trousers and it's going out over their shoes? And then my dog started eating it. "I'm in the f****** road at this point. We live in a quiet, rural area, so I got undressed at this point". He continued: "By the time I got that stuff off, everything was compromised." He then added: "I threw all my clothes in the hedge. I got to the garden, and hosed myself down head to foot with a garden hose outside. "And then, came into the house, naked with the dog still on a lead. So that was my first Madras back." Ed Gamble then checked that the comedian was sure he wanted to include a Madras curry as his dream main course, which Rhod confirmed. During the podcast episode, the Welsh comedian had also spoke about what he ate during his childhood and his favourite places to eat in Carmarthenshire. Although the comedian confessed he wasn't a "foodie", but that he had "come a long way". He said: "I grew up in the 70s and 80s in west Wales. Food in our house - I mean, to be fair, my dad wasn't interested. "My mother was working full-time, bringing up three kids, so food in our house was not exactly - I mean, I'll give you a few examples, spaghetti bolognese, in my house when I was growing up, spaghetti bolognese was a tin of tomato soup, a tin of corn beef, stir it up - that's spaghetti bolognese. Article continues below "And I still have it, to this day, I'll still eat it. I only found out it wasn't that when I got to college." You can listen to Rhod Gilbert's episode from the Off Menu podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
BBC News
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
BBC Cymru Wales and Media Cymru invest £100,000 into R&D projects for innovative climate content
BBC Cymru Wales and Media Cymru have awarded five production companies up to £20,000 each to research and develop ideas which tell innovative stories of the climate crisis. The new fund is designed to support TV production companies to research and develop new, innovative ways to inform audiences about the causes, impact and ways of combatting climate change. While the climate crisis is the most existential problem facing humanity in the 21st century, public understanding of the issue is patchy and sometimes confused. The fund brings together a cohort of Welsh indies to research and develop ambitious ideas for climate content to engage and inform audiences. The news follows an Insight Day on 29 January 2025 at BBC Central Square in Cardiff, where successful companies presented their winning research and development (R&D) proposals. The chosen projects cover genres including comedy, entertainment and factual, each with a focus on innovative approaches to climate content. Event attendees also engaged with the BBC's Climate Creatives Strategy, discussed scientific perspectives on climate change and explored insights into how diverse audiences engage with climate content. R&D projects will take place between 3 February and 30 April 2025, with the potential of the BBC commissioning an idea in summer 2025. Nick Andrews, BBC Wales' Head of Commissioning, said: 'This fund will fire the imagination of some of our very best storytellers as they take on the challenge and tell one of the most significant stories of our time. With the funding and the headspace to focus on this territory I'm hopeful that we'll be in a position to commission content that our audience will devour. BBC Cymru Wales backs compelling storytelling and what story could be more timely than this one.' Professor Justin Lewis, Director of Media Cymru, said: 'It's vital that we commit to producing content which speaks to the wider challenges surrounding the climate crisis. Together with BBC Cymru Wales, we've seen some exciting ideas for thought-provoking content to engage and inspire mainstream audiences. I look forward to seeing these proposals develop into tangible and compelling programme ideas.' Awarded companies include: Carlam Ltd - The Climate Inspector: How Green is your basket? Exploring eco-friendly diets with Welsh audiences by investigating people's shopping baskets with intrigue and humour to ask if their choices are as green as they think. Joio Cyf – Boiling Frogs Looking ahead to the climate crisis in Wales 2030. Dwindling resources, crumbling infrastructure, constant flooding, intensifying storms, and a growing migrant population makes life on the estate anything but easy. One family's fight for survival as water rises during a storm. Kailash Films Ltd - Rhod Gilbert Saves the World Offering climate change solutions with comedian Rhod Gilbert to see what's realistic for the average Welsh person and what isn't. Rhod Gilbert is going to save the world. Or at least he's going to give it a damn good try! Little Wander - The One Planet Show A new comedy talk show hosted by comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean featuring Welsh community projects, innovative sustainable practices and light-hearted interviews that bridge entertainment and environmentalism. Teledu Telesgop Cyf – The Invisible Lines A landmark series demonstrating local and global effects of climate change on current familiar 'lines' - coastline, riverbeds, average temperatures, ocean currents, migration routes, Nation boundaries etc. As well as innovative graphic representations of new, future, "invisible lines", we'll leave lasting physical reminders in some key locations. EWL
