Good Evening Swansea

July sees Swansea-born actor Jonathan Houlston bring his first full-length play to the Grand Theatre and the former Gorseinon schoolboy joins Jack and Ant in this episode to discuss the production, his upbringing and influences, and his ambitions moving forward. The play - Physical Education - is set in a comprehensive school changing room and it explores how masculinity and lad culture affect young men in school. Jonathan, 25, plays one of the characters as the issues of power, sexuality and...

On Sunday 7 June 2026, thousands of runners of all abilities will defend upon our great city for the Swansea Half Marathon. The 13.1‑mile challenge - along Swansea's scenic coastal roads - was first run in 2014... and this year our Jack will amongst those lacing up the trainers and treading the tarmac!! The run is organised by Front Runner Events, and this podcast episode sees Jack and Ant joined by the CEO David Martin-Jewell to talk about it. Together they discuss how the event came about (...

After amazing feedback from episode 11, we've brought back global tour manager Paul ("Welshie") Chapman to update us on his ventures in the music world. The former Bishop Vaughan School pupil has just completed a world tour with Welsh heavy metal band Bullet For My Valentine - including several stadium crazy dates in South America - and is planning for a busy 2026 out on the road, and working with, Avitar, Five Finger Death Punch, Live and BFMV. We suggest you dig out episode episode 11 (Morr...

Earlier this year Swansea's Fiona Hughes became a national celebrity after appearing on BBC's The Traitors. The hit show's first Secret Traitor was at the centre of a viewer's guessing game and, once revealed, she quickly put the proverbial cat among the pigeons... which led to her explosive departure from the series. Since then, the former Swansea Council worker has retired and there's been few newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television shows or social media that haven't wanted to tal...

2026 promises to be a busy year for Summer Treharne... the Swansea teenager who "never wanted to do anything else but sing!". Immediately on the horizon for the singer / songwriter is Croeso Fest - a weekend St David's celebration across the city from 28 February to 1 March. Then, on 7 March, Cardiff's Immersed Festival has her booked to perform. Not that such high-profile gigs are anything new for the 19-year-old music student - as she's been performing since she was a toddler, including wit...

After a longer than planned Christmas break, Jack and Ant return - and are joined by Dylan Evans, the head chef at Swansea's prestigious Morgans Hotel. Dylan, was a picky eater as a youngster, but he told the boys what led him to train for the hospitality sector and how his career path has taken him around South Wales, into Europe and back to Adelaide Street. Also a big Swans fan, Dylan gave an insight into the planning of the city's legendary Beaujolais Day celebrations, the pressure of wedd...

After more weeks off than they had planned for, Jack and Ant are back - and they are joined by Carolyn Harris, the MP for Neath and Swansea East. An MP since 2015, Carolyn is again championing the "Everyone Deserves A Christmas" campaign that she helped initiate. The charity provides food hampers filled with festive essentials to struggling families and individuals, ensuring they experience the joy of Christmas. Carolyn talked with the boys about how the campaign has grown from a small kitche...

Well it was bound to happen... the scheduled guest dropped out at the last minute and so it was left for Jack and Ant to either have a chat for half an hour or to leave it for a week. Given Jack's away at Cardiff School of Journalism and Ant was going to be ringing him for a catch up anyway, they decided to just record it and pop it out as this week's podcast. Amongst the topics covered were Christmas curry nights, meeting Dr Who(s), global excitement that Ant had gone out and had a pint, and...

Dan Brooks was a criminal solicitor in Swansea and a (half) decent player for Mumbles RFC. But, in 2024, he packed both in, filled a suitcase with clothes and other bits, and set off to Canada to fulfil an ambition of experiencing a different lifestyle. Landing in Canada he had no plan, no accommodation and no job - so it was clear he needed to get a few things sorted... and quickly! During the 12 months that have followed he has flipped eggs for hungry fast food diners, captured and castrate...

In March 1998, Mike Lewis joined Swansea City as commercial director. In his time at the club he oversaw a dramatic increase in commercial income, introduced Cyril The Swans, and paid a pound to buy the club from Neil McClure. But Mike's was not a happy time at the the helm - the money was running out fast, he was physically attacked at the ground by club supporters who wanted him out and he sold the club on... to Tony Petty. From there it was on to Exeter City - where he was arrested and the...

Steff Burn is no ordinary singer/songwriter! Aged two he underwent several hours of surgery to rebuild his skull - and the scars that the operation left brought many an unkind comment during his school years. Neurodiverse and diagnosed with ADHD, the Swansea student has battled his way through the local music scene to become a regular and respected member of the local gig circuit. His talents (and bare-faced cheek) prompted Libertines' frontman Pete Doherty to invite Steff to open for him and...

In 1979, Swans fan Roger Evans asked his fellow North Banker to have a listen to a song he had penned about their favourite football team. Professional musician Paul Morgan was that fan - and he instantly loved the rousing musical story that became The Swansea City Song. With Paul on guitar, Roger on lyrics and the Swansea players adding their voices, the single - which included the Ballad of Swansea Jack on its B side - was soon high in the local charts and was regularly performed pre-match ...

He's known by many as half of the Ambition Is Critical team, but there's so much more to Ryan Pridmore than his successful podcast with Paddy Cullen. That said, the podcast recently passed 260 episodes and half a million downloads - showing just how far some opinions, some life experiences and great Swansea wit can take you! Supportive of our podcast from the outset, Ryan - who describes himself as "a proper townie" - joined Jack and Ant to talk about AIC, and also to discuss other aspects of...

Twenty-six-year-old Levi Trivedy is the bar manager and DJ at one of Swansea's busiest night out venues - The Swigg. As well as knowing the cocktail list off by heart, the man behind the bar is self-taught on the turntables - and harbours ambitions of taking his skills just a few yards along Mumbles Road to play a set at the city's arena. His next challenge comes at the Marina watering hole on 20 August 2025 - a 10-hour charity set that will benefit mental health charity MIND... a massive ste...

Award-winning former Evening Post reporter Liz Perkins joins Jack and Ant in this episode, looking back at some of the highlights of her journalistic career so far. The episode begins with Liz - an acclaimed sports writer - giving an insight into covering Wimbledon every day throughout the tournament. From meeting the celebrity spectators, to interviewing the game's biggest names, much is packed into every day at the famous SW19 courts. But there's so much more that the former Carmarthenshire...

Swansea-based Indie-Rock band Freefall are a band on the up. Formed in 2024 - and consisting of Dave Goldsmith, Daniel Harris, Josh Evason and Chris Williams, the four already have more than 50,000 music downloads to their name and the O2 Academy on their list of venues played. The three former Bishopston School boys (and Dan who is ex-Bishop Vaughan) launch their first EP in August hoping for the same critical acclaim that accompanied their existing releases. On 18 July 2025 they will team u...

Musician Jon-Joe (Flynn) has packed a lot into his first 24 years - including teenage years in musical theatre, three education gap years and three courses at Swansea University. Although musically inspired by the likes of David Bowie and Damon Albarn, recent years have seen the self-taught guitarist reject playing covers in order to instead write and perform his own music. Already he's played Swansea Arena, the Elysium, The Swigg and most of the live music venues around the city. With ...

In 2007, Dorus de Vries signed for Swansea City from Dumfermline. Club manager Roberto Martinez was looking for a keeper who could make saves... but also play out from the back in "The Swansea Way". De Vries' football background made him the perfect choice. During his four years at the club de Vries saw three men in the hot seat - Martinez, Paulo Sousa and Brendan Rodgers. A Golden Glove was won for 25 clean sheets in a season, and there were two promotions... including the Wembley play-off s...

In episode 24 the boys catch up with three Swansea musicians who seem destined for the top! First up, ahead of their big Bunkhouse homecoming, it's Aaron Morgan (frontman) and Ben Lewis (drums)... of The Stray Pursuit. The four-piece alternative rock band have continued to rise in talent, performance and audience size since their first gig back in 2018. Relentless in their drive, they have already sold the city's Sin City out and now, having linked with Romesh Dodangoda, a bright future...

As the man behind the Wonky Sheep travel agent, Dave Dulin has organised away travel for thousands of Wales football fans. His meticulous planning and attention to detail have taken fans to Euro 2016 in France, the Qatar World Cup and all corners of Europe for qualification matches. And yet, as he revealed when he, Jack and Ant got chatting, working life saw a number of twists before bringing him to where he now is - from Swansea's Olchfa School there was university in Surrey, journalistic wo...

Matthew Bound signed for Swansea City in 1997. In his second season at the Vetch Field the Swans made the Division Three play-offs. The next year, Bound, alongside Jason Smith and with Roger Freestone behind them, formed the defence that brought Swansea the title... the club's first! Bound even scored the vital penalty to secure the trophy! But, as is always the case at Swansea City, for every up there are downs. There was the death of Terry Coles at that title-decider, and a subsequent finan...

Thirty-year-old Ciaran Fitzgerald's award-winning six-part drama series "Bwmp" is currently on S4C and is billed as "the perfect mix of heart, humour, and real-world challenge"... which also could be how his life could be described. Ciaran, a disabled writer and presenter, has won an RTS Cymru award for his work and he is very much a man on the up. Armed with a BA Scriptwriting degree from the University of South Wales, he's the first from his family to venture into theatre and television wor...

John Burgum joined the South Wales Evening Post in 1968, becoming chief football correspondent six years later. During the next 25 years of writing about Swansea City he saw it all - and brought that news to us. Swans fans would rely on John to tell them the fixtures, the inside stories, the sackings, the signings and the exclusives! His role saw him work with great names in the club's history... Harry Griffiths, Alan Curtis, Wyndham Evans, Robbie James, Frank Burrows and Jan Molby to name a ...

So much has been said and written about Swansea's multi-talented Steve Balsamo - not least (award-winningly) he played Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus on the West End, he enjoyed solo musical success and toured the world with the Storys, and he's worked with Sir Elton John and Meatloaf! BUT, with just 30 minutes in a busy schedule, Jack and Ant chose to explore the here and now - what's singer and songwriter Steve up to these day? Together the three discuss "creativity", a return to study at the ...

Bullied as a youngster, Richie Garner couldn't understand why he'd failed his O Levels... until he discovered his coursework had not been submitted and it was too late for his school to put it right! Despite that setback, Richie went on to study law at Swansea University and later established himself as a criminal law solicitor in the city. Keen and capable in every sport he tried - American football, rugby, tennis, football, surfing, badminton, boxing and nearly every martial art there is - ...

Eirian Wyn is a busy man.... not least he's a Baptist minister (Seion Newydd Church, Morriston), a member of the Magic Circle and the chaplain at Swansea City Football Club! But his has not been an easy path - born with a hip issue that left him unable to walk for two years and having to be wheeled to school in a wheelchair, he then discovered he was dyslexic. As if that wasn't enough to deal with, a chance meeting after a magic show was to save his eyesight! Open, honest and jovial thr...

During Covid, Sue Kent's Swansea garden gained national coverage and earned her a role on BBC's Gardeners' World. Now an ambassador for the Royal Horticultural Society, the former sports masseuse has a zest for life and adventure that is matched by few. Making all this more remarkable is that Sue has achieved what she has despite an upper limb disability which means she has eight-inch arms and seven fingers - so much of her work has been performed using her feet! It's a remarkable story that ...

He was the Comic's Comic "Best UK Act" in 2023 and now, after twice playing Swansea Arena (as support for Russell Howard and Rhod Gilbert) comedian Andrew Bird is heading to Swansea's Grand Theatre as part of his solo tour. He's performed at the London Palladium, Wembley Arena, the O2 and Reading Festival... this was his chance to chat with Jack and Ant from the sofa in his living room. "A brilliantly funny comedian" was how Russell Howard described him. Rob Brydon went further with the accol...

Through his appearances in Gavin and Stacey, Welsh acting legend Steffan Rhodri has made Dave (of Dave's Coaches) a national icon - but there's so much more to the Morriston boy than transporting locals around Barry Island! With Wonder Woman, Twin Town and Harry Potter amongst his film credits, and Pobol y Cwm, Steeltown Murders and The Way amongst his extensive TV credits, it's amazing he's found time for more than 20 years of theatre that includes Shakespearean roles. Oh, and he's a S...

Gorseinon-born, Paul Leyshon boasts a CV that includes journalist, TV producer-director, Christmas tree delivery man (for his sister), father and fan of Swansea City. He's recently added "author" to his list of achievements with the publication of "Joni Jones and the Ghost Train". In episode 13, Paul joins Jack and Ant to discuss his book, how to get in TV, following the Swans and... working on Bargain Hunt. And with Ant desperate for the secrets of the auction room, Paul gets grilled o...

His Twitter account describes him as an author, poet, boxing addict and recovering alcoholic... but that's just a part of Matt Wride's story! During these 60 minutes, Swansea's Wride discusses all of the above with Jack and Ant - and more... scraps at the Vetch Field, downing 20 pints on nights out in the Kingsway, Navy deployment to the Gulf War, the raw emotion of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and the future! Wride fought back against his demons and also found the time and strength to pe...

Growing up in Morriston, Paul "Welshie" Chapman always knew that his future would be somewhere in the music industry. And so it proved... Today he has a home in Toronto, and has travelled the globe as tour manager with rock legends Megadeth. As well as giving Jack and Ant an insight into his role and the things that go wrong on tour, Welshie talks about spreading the good name of Wales across the planet - and about getting home for Christmas to watch his beloved Swans! Get involved: g...

Available to download three days early, our episode 10 guest is Swansea's Richard Mylan - who directs Mumfighter at the Swansea Grand Theatre (15025 October 2024). Mumfighter is billed as a moving, exhilarating and essential play about resilience, hope, and going the distance. It's a first director role for Richard - a former Birchgrove Junior School pupil with a London West End and national TV CV. The podcast contains reference to the difficulties and struggles of parenting, together with r...

It's the UK's longest running weekly jazz club and this year Swansea Jazz Club celebrates its 75th anniversary. In episode nine, its driving force - Dave Cottle - joins Jack and Ant, who probably couldn't know less about jazz if they tried. Over 45 minutes Dave teaches them what jazz is, shares his anecdotes and stories about the club and discusses the upcoming celebration night at Cu Mumbles.... oh and you couldn't have this chat without the obligatory references to The Fast Show!

With SA Radio Live about to launch across Swansea on 30 September 2024, former Swansea Sound presenter (and Top Rank DJ) Steve Dewitt sits down with Jack and Ant to talk Kingsway nights out, the power of local radio and a chance encounter with. Sir Elton John. Meanwhile, with the imminent publication of her book "111 Places In Swansea That You Shouldn't Miss", author Julia Goodfellow-Smith tries to educate two presenters who just want to eat, drink and play the penny slots!

Our first triple-header gives something for everyone... With Sister Act The Musical set to hit the Grand Theatre stage from 23 September 2024, Jack and Ant catch up with Mother Superior Wendi Peters - stage legend and, of course, Coronation Street's Cilla Battersby. After that, attention turns to local author Bernard Lewis, whose "Swansea in World War Two" book launches later this month with a series of launch events. Finally, with Swansea City Heritage Talks coming across the city, the boys ...

Singer, song-writer, musical composer, radio presenter, TV host, Swansea fan and all-round nice guy.... just some of the ways that Mal Pope is known! On 3 October 2024 he brings his Golden Jubilee Concert to the city's arena and, taking time off from rehearsals and planning, he chatted to Jack and Ant about a whole range of topics - Elton, John Peel and the Swans inevitably feature, but so do big pizza orders, being recognised at bus stops and the financial risks of putting on a big show!

With new football seasons about to start, Jack and Ant are joined by a legend of the game - former Swansea City striker Lee Trundle. Now a club ambassador, Liverpool-born Trundle scored more than 80 league goals for the Swans in two spells, becoming a £1m transfer in between! As always, the boys divert from the obvious themes and so driving tests, the Beatles and trampolining are amongst the topics discussed!

Jack and Ant showcase their new intro music and then speak with: - Author Neil Collins, whose book "International Velvet" launches at Swansea's Waterstones store on 31 July 2024. The book - and the podcast chat - delves into the rise of the Stereophonics, The Manics, Catatonia and Cool Cymru. - Open mic organiser Paul Edwards then talks about the thriving amateur live music scene around the city. @goodeveningswansea www.goodeveningswansea.com

Episode three sees Jack and Ant sit down in the company of Walesonline's crime reporter Jason Evans. Neath-born and educated, Jason's love of wine took him around the world, before a career change saw him swap the vineyards for the magistrates courts. A strong campaigner for local newspapers, and one of the best reporters around, Jason is also a top, top guy.

With the Ironman 79.3 event coming the Swansea on 14 July 2024, Jack and Anthony catch up with Rhodri Davies as he prepares to swim 1.2 miles through the city's dock, cycle 56 miles around Gower and finish his day off with a 13.1 mile half marathon. Full details of the sold out event can be found at: https://www.ironman.com/im703-swansea

Good Evening Swansea! It's the podcast that sees hosts Jack O'Connell and his dad Anthony chatting with those who those who help bring good times to our wonderful city. It’ll be about 30-45 minutes of light-hearted chat, discussing people’s stories, their talents and generally having some fun. To kick off we are delighted to have "Mr Swansea" Kev Johns as our first guest. His X profile has him as a cancer survivor, Christian, Welsh, presenter, actor, husband, dad, grandpa, dog lo...