Y Byd yn ei Le

Lore & Background

The first programme of Y Byd yn ei Le was broadcast on S4C on 12 June 2018 and included an interview by the programme's presenter Guto Harri, with UK Prime Minister Theresa May, during her visit to the Welsh Conservative Conference. As well as interviews with prominent Wales and UK politicians, the programme aimed to bridge the gap between politicians and people on the ground in their towns and communities. Each programme normally includes a street 'surgery' where a politician answers questions directly to members of the public in a Welsh town or city. The first programme had Wales Assembly member Eluned Morgan meeting people in Ammanford.

In the Autumn of 2018 S4C commissioned two more series of the programme. Young journalist Elen Davies joined the programme as a co-presenter in February 2019. In September 2018 Harri interviewed controversial personality Katie Hopkins about her anti-Welsh language views. This received some criticism for giving Hopkins a 'platform' for her views. Harri responded that 'We challenge and expose flaws... Outrageous views need confronting.' S4C released the interview online on 27 September and broadcast a shorter clip in the programme on Tuesday 3 October 2018.

Two days before the 2019 general election, Harri interviewed UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, for Y Byd yn ei Le. Johnson was questioned about Brexit and the recent resignation of the Conservative's Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns.

Reader's Guide

Y Byd yn ei Le occupies a distinctive place in Welsh-language broadcasting as a current affairs series that directly engages politicians with the public through its street surgery format. Its significance lies in its attempt to reduce the distance between political figures and ordinary citizens, a model that has been sustained since its 2018 debut. The programme gained wider attention for its interviews with UK Prime Ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson, as well as for a controversial interview with Katie Hopkins that sparked debate about giving a platform to anti-Welsh language views. The series reflects the ongoing role of S4C in providing Welsh-language political journalism and public discourse. Its legacy includes demonstrating how a regional broadcaster can facilitate direct democratic engagement, while also navigating the tensions inherent in covering contentious figures. The programme continues to serve as a forum for political accountability within Wales.

Did You Know?

• The first programme included an interview with UK Prime Minister Theresa May during her visit to the Welsh Conservative Conference.
• Each programme normally includes a street 'surgery' where a politician answers questions directly from the public.
• In September 2018, presenter Guto Harri interviewed Katie Hopkins about her anti-Welsh language views, which received criticism.
• Two days before the 2019 general election, Harri interviewed UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson about Brexit and the resignation of Alun Cairns.

Origins & Format

The current affairs programme Y Byd yn ei Le, which translates to "The World in its Place," made its debut on the Welsh-language broadcaster S4C on 12 June 2018. From its very first broadcast, the series set out a clear editorial mission: to narrow the distance between elected officials and the ordinary citizens they represent. A signature element of each episode is a street "surgery," in which a politician takes a seat in a Welsh town or city and responds to questions put forward by local residents. The inaugural edition put that format into practice when Assembly member Eluned Morgan met people in Ammanford. The same opening programme also featured an interview with UK Prime Minister Theresa May, captured during her appearance at the Welsh Conservative Conference. By pairing high-level political conversation with grassroots dialogue, the show established a dual identity that distinguished it from conventional news broadcasts and gave Welsh-speaking audiences a dedicated space for political engagement.

Presenters & Team

The face of Y Byd yn ei Le from its 2018 launch through 2022 was Guto Harri, a journalist whose career included serving as the BBC's Chief Political Correspondent. That senior background gave the programme immediate credibility in the world of UK and Welsh politics, and Harri's experience in holding senior figures to account shaped the show's confrontational yet fair tone. In February 2019, S4C expanded the presenting team by bringing on young journalist Elen Davies as a co-presenter. Her addition brought a fresh generative perspective to the on-screen dynamic and broadened the range of voices guiding each episode's discussions. The pairing of a veteran political interviewer with a rising new talent reflected the channel's desire to appeal across age groups within its Welsh-speaking audience while maintaining the rigour expected of a current affairs format. Harri remained at the helm until 2022, by which point the series had become a fixture of S4C's schedule.

Notable Interviews & Controversies

Two episodes in particular brought Y Byd yn ei Le into wider public debate. In September 2018, Guto Harri sat down with Katie Hopkins to discuss her outspoken views on the Welsh language. The interview drew criticism from some quarters, who felt the show was handing Hopkins an unwanted platform. Harri pushed back, arguing that the show existed to put pressure on public figures and reveal weaknesses in their arguments, and that extreme opinions demanded head-on engagement rather than being sidestepped. S4C made the full interview available online on 27 September and aired a condensed clip during the Tuesday 3 October broadcast. A second high-profile moment came just two days before the 2019 general election, when Harri questioned Prime Minister Boris Johnson about Brexit and the then-recent resignation of Conservative Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns. Both encounters underscored the show's willingness to put senior political figures under sustained, unscripted pressure.

Institutional Support & Ongoing Commissioning

The rapid institutional backing the programme received from S4C signalled how well it fit the channel's editorial identity. Just a few months after the June 2018 premiere, the broadcaster commissioned two additional series in the autumn of that same year, confirming its confidence in the format and its presenter. This early green-light allowed the team to refine the street-surgery segments, deepen the political interview practice, and build a consistent weekly rhythm for Welsh-speaking viewers. The show's placement on S4C also meant it occupied a unique niche: a current affairs programme conducted in Welsh that nonetheless tackled UK-wide political issues, from Westminster elections to language policy. By anchoring national political discourse in local Welsh communities, Y Byd yn ei Le gave the Welsh-language public a dedicated space where their representatives were expected to answer questions face to face, a standard that distinguished it from much of the broader UK political coverage landscape.