The Morning Live presenter was ‘very excited’ about his fellow Welshman’s achievements
Gethin Jones was ‘very excited’ about Matthew Rhys’ Emmys win on BBC’s Morning Live(Image: BBC/Morning Live)
Morning Live’s Gethin Jones joked that he and Matthew Rhys have “both done well” as he revealed the pair performed on stage while at school together. The Cardiff-born presenter opened up Tuesday’s morning programme talking about Rhys’ historic Emmys win overnight, with Jones described as being “very excited” about Rhys’ achievement.
The Welshman became the first actor to win two best lead actor awards at the same ceremony at this year’s awards, taking home the accolades best lead actor in a limited series for his role in the Netflix psychological thriller The Beast in Me and best lead comedy actor award for Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay.
In his acceptance speech, 51-year-old Rhys paid a heartfelt tribute to his homeland, dedicating the win “to the great and good people of Wales, who were as much a nurture as anyone else”.
Opening Morning Live on BBC One following Rhys’ historic win, Holly Hamilton said Jones had been “very excited” about Rhys’ historic achievement overnight.
The 48-year-old presenter then said they had been in school together at at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf in Cardiff.
One of the show’s panellists then asked Jones: “Does he know who you are?” For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter
Laughing at the comment, he joked: “Haven’t we both done well?”
Jones went on to reveal that the pair performed together while at Glantaf. “We actually did a show at school together – an Elvis show,” Jones said.
“In the Welsh language there’s no ‘v’ so we all walked around in these t-shirts that said ‘Elfis’. I know all of Elvis’ songs in the Welsh language.”
He then teased that the show’s viewers may get to hear a “little tune” later on the Morning Live social media pages.
Jones and Rhys previously appeared alongside one another in a BBC promotion for the broadcaster’s National Eisteddfod coverage in 2008, alongside another recognisable Ysgol Glantaf alumni – actor Ioan Gruffudd.
As well as saying “diolch yn fawr” on stage when accepting his Emmy win, Rhys went on to pay further tribute to Wales backstage.
He said: “I’m from a small country, and I’m glad we get moments to kind of put our flag on the map and say, ‘we punch higher than our weight sometimes’.”
The historic win comes after an interview with WalesOnline in which the TV man of the moment admitted his double nomination felt “surreal”.
“It’s still making me go, ‘Oh, bloody hell, that’s weird.’ And I still can’t quite believe it myself. And then obviously the Welsh pessimist in me goes, ‘Well, this is it, this is the height of it all, it’s downhill from now on. It’ll never be better than this.’”
