Episode 140 – Gethin Jones: From Blue Peter to Pantomime

In Episode 140 of the Just Imagine podcast, Martin Ballard is joined by TV favourite Gethin Jones, who is returning to his home city of Cardiff this Christmas to star as Gaston in Imagine Theatre’s Beauty and the Beast at the New Theatre.

Gethin chats about growing up in Cardiff, his early love of music and rugby, and how his career took him from Welsh-language television to becoming a presenter on Blue Peter. He reflects on some of the extraordinary experiences he had during his time on the show, as well as his appearances on Strictly Come Dancing, It Takes Two, Celebrity MasterChef and much more.

The conversation then turns to pantomime, with Gethin sharing his memories of seeing panto as a child, his first experiences performing in pantomime and why he has fallen in love with the unique combination of comedy, live performance and audience interaction.

He also talks about the challenge of learning a pantomime in just a couple of weeks, the importance of keeping the energy going through multiple shows a day, and how every audience can change a performance.

Now, after playing princes in previous Cardiff pantomimes, Gethin is taking on a very different role as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. He reveals what attracted him to the character and why he's looking forward to returning to the New Theatre for another Christmas season.

From rugby and violin to Blue Peter, Strictly, Soccer Aid, cooking and pantomime, it's a fascinating conversation with one of television's most versatile presenters.

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