Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones is returning to her hometown for the show which will be aired this Christmas
16:09, 14 Dec 2025
Ruth and Steve joined the crew for a short exercise centred around rescuing a person from the water(Image: Porthcawl RNLI)
Residents in a Welsh coastal town may have spotted some familiar faces on their seafront as Gavin & Stacey star Ruth Jones and her long-time friend Steve Spiers joined volunteer RNLI crews as part of their latest TV venture.
Volunteer crews from Porthcawl and Barry Dock RNLI have just welcomed Ruth and Steve as part of filming for Ruth and Steve: From Porthcawl with Love, a new programme due to air over Christmas that follows Ruth as she shows her Stella co-star around her hometown.
Ruth has a long-standing family connection with Porthcawl RNLI and was joined on the day by her sister Maria, a local GP who volunteers as a medical advisor with the Porthcawl crew. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter
The family links run deep: Maria’s husband, Etienne, volunteered as a crew member for 19 years; Ruth’s niece, Anousha, also served as crew before going to university; and her brother Julian is the lead organiser of the RNLI Samtampa Memorial Run.
Ruth and the team were also joined by Ruth’s Stella co-star, and long time friend Steve Spiers(Image: Porthcawl RNLI)
After a briefing in the boathouse and getting kitted up, the group spent time aboard Barry Dock’s Shannon class all-weather lifeboat while Porthcawl launched their Atlantic 85. This gave them a clear picture of how the two stations train side by side and work closely together.
Ruth, Steve and Maria also took part in a short exercise centred around rescuing a person from the water, with volunteer crews demonstrating how they operate together during training and on shouts.
Despite filming taking place, both lifeboats remained fully search and rescue capable throughout. With full crews aboard and both boats operating close to shore, the teams were ready to respond immediately should the Coastguard have needed them.
There was plenty of laughter, conversation and more than a few selfies, with Ruth and Steve taking time to chat with crew members and the public throughout the afternoon.
Ruth Jones joined Porthcawl’s RNLI crew for a special episode of Ruth and Steve, from Porthcawl with Love(Image: Porthcawl RNLI)
Later that evening, volunteer crews from Porthcawl and Barry Dock were invited to a private preview screening of the programme, hosted by BBC Cymru Wales and ITV Cymru Wales.
The screening was followed by a Q&A session with Ruth and Steve, who shared behind-the-scenes stories from filming and spoke warmly about the work of both lifeboat stations.
Following their session, Andrew Walmsley, Porthcawl’s Lifeboat Operations Manager, said: “It was great to meet both Ruth and Steve, and we really appreciated them coming down to spend time with the crew.
“Visits like this give us a valuable chance to share key RNLI safety messages, especially at this time of year when the sea can be even more unpredictable than usual and incredibly cold.”
- Ruth and Steve: From Porthcawl with Love airs on Monday December 15, at 9pm on BBC One. Viewers can look out for Porthcawl and Barry Dock RNLI crews in action alongside Ruth, Steve and Maria.
