Following the success of the pilot episode Kiri Pritchard-McLean is to make four new episodes of her sitcom The Learners for BBC Radio Wales .
The series is the first solo sitcom project from comedian and broadcaster Kiri who based it on her own experience of attending group Welsh lessons as a learner herself.
Jonesy (Tudur Owen) has the unenviable task of teaching Welsh to a group of adult learners from north Wales.
Cathy (Janice Connolly, aka Mrs Barbara Nice of Britain’s Got Talent) and Frank (Mick Ferry, Searching for Eric) are very keen – in fact this is their third year in the beginners’ class. Yara (Lisa Zahra) has recently arrived from Syria and is determined to learn the language of her new home; Jess (Kath Hughes, Afterlife and Gein’s Family Giftshop) has her eyes on a Senedd seat and needs to polish up her skills for work. But where is Ken?
Learning Welsh has never been so much fun.
Kiri Pritchard-McLean has appeared on Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You, 8 Out of 10 Cats and Would I Lie to You. She hosts her own show on Sunday afternoons on BBC Radio Wales and is the host of Radio 4 Extra’s Newsjack and, as well as appearing on the Russell Howard Hour, she is a writer for the show.
Already a hugely popular regular on the comedy circuit, Kiri is director and co-writer with the Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer nominated Gein’s Family Giftshop and the cult hit sketch show, Tarot.
Kiri’s hit, true crime podcast with Rachel Fairburn, All Killa No Filla is a phenomenon with over 350,000 monthly listeners. The live shows have been a huge success with the pair touring America and selling out a UK tour in 2019. Her new podcast Who Are You Wearing, during which Kiri chats to celebrities about their relationship with clothes, has also proved a success, with guests including Jonathan Ross, Laura Whitmore, Joe Lycett and Glamrou.
During Lockdown Kiri was the landlady of virtual pub The Covid Arms hosting a hugely successful weekly comedy night to raise money for performers affected by the closure of venues and also The Trussell Trust. Live At The Covid Arms is now a monthly event and has so far raised over £150,000 for The Trussell Trust.
