culture watch
Faithfulness and treachery: Why ‘The Traitors’ grabs us
Gwilym Tudur
The first day of 2025 saw the launch of a new season of the hit BBC television show The Traitors. In this psychological game show hosted by Claudia Winkelman, 22 contestants are sent to a Scottish castle to compete against each other for a prize of £120,000.
It is, however, a game show with a twist: some contestants are ‘Faithfuls’ while others are ‘Traitors’. Each night, the Traitors figuratively ‘murder’ a contestant, while the Faithfuls seek to ‘banish’ a Traitor. With its unexpected twists and colourful characters, the third season of The Traitors promises to be gripping.
Mission among Welsh speakers: an urgent need
Gwilym Tudur
In mid-October, Wales held its annual Shwmae Su’mae Day. Translated roughly as ‘hi there’, both shwmae (pronounced shoe-mai) in south Wales and su’mae (pronounced see-mai) in north Wales are colloquial greetings used to start a conversation.
Held since 2013, the purpose of Shwmae Su’mae Day is to encourage people to begin conversations in Welsh and promote its use in everyday discussions. Now in its 11th year, Shwmae Su’mae Day has become a national occasion as businesses, workplaces, and universities host events to motivate employees and students to practice the language.
You're fired? Not in God's kingdom
The nineteenth series of the BBC show The Apprentice continues to captivate audiences across the UK. Hosted by the business magnate Lord Sugar, The Apprentice does what it says on the tin: 18 entrepreneurs compete against each other to become his next apprentice.
The programme’s premise is simple: prove to Lord Sugar that you’re the best. If you succeed, you will become his next business partner, earning a six-figure salary. Fail to do so and you will hear those unforgiving words: "You’re fired." You will then be removed from the boardroom and taxied back to obscurity.