Gethin Jones has revealed he’ll be stepping away from BBC’s Morning Live temporarily as he prepares to star in Cardiff’s annual Christmas pantomime. The beloved presenter, who’s been balancing multiple commitments this year—from hosting duties to his new role as Chef De Mission for Team Wales at the 2026 Commonwealth Games—admitted that juggling everything at once became overwhelming.
Speaking to WalesOnline, Gethin confessed, “I tried doing the two things last year and it was probably too much. The boss has been really kind this year. We’re fully committed to coming down to Cardiff at the end of November for rehearsals and then straight into it. I’ll miss the guys at Morning Live massively, but it’s nice to do something different.”
He joked that it might actually be “nice for Morning Live to have a break from me and for the viewers as well.”
This will mark Gethin’s second consecutive year performing at Cardiff’s New Theatre, after his turn as Prince Charming in Cinderella last Christmas. This time, he’s taking on the role of the prince in Sleeping Beauty, performing once again alongside his Morning Live co-star Owain Wyn Evans and comedian Mike Doyle.
Reflecting on last year’s debut, Gethin recalled the nerves before stepping onto the stage: “We walked into the theatre and went, ‘oh my god’. The realisation hit that we were about to entertain people in a place we’d only ever watched others perform.”
He added that this year feels like returning to a family: “Seeing familiar faces, it’s felt like a really family-oriented thing by the end. We’ve been chatting on our WhatsApp group all year, so it’s lovely to be coming back together again.”
Rehearsals for Sleeping Beauty begin in November, with performances running from December 6, 2025, to January 4, 2026. Gethin confirmed he’ll be back on Morning Live immediately after the final show, saying, “We finish on Sunday, and I start back on Monday—so that’s quite a late night!”
