MarksBreakfastShow

Katherine Jenkins on Mark's Breakfast Show!

You'd have thought Christmas had come early if you'd seen Mark's reaction to the news Gtfm had been offered a face-to-face

interview with Welsh singing sensation Katherine Jenkins at a posh Cardiff hotel on Thurs 13th October - and he'd be chosen to go!

Having spent the previous two days researching and writing out questions off he went, in very good time, and came back smiling even

wider because he'd found Katherine delightful and easy to chat to. The version of his interview broadcast on Friday 14th and repeated on

Saturday 15th can be heard by clicking on the link below, though music cannot be included for copyright reasons.

A longer version of the interview including more tracks from Katherine's new album 'Daydream' will be broadcast as a special programme

on Christmas Day.

Click here to 'listen again' to an mp3 recording of Katherine's chat with Mark

Ruth Jones on Mark's Breakfast Show

We feel honoured to report that Welsh actress and writer Ruth Jones chose Gtfm to say 'thank you' to Valley's people for

the friendly welcome she and her film crew received while working on location here recently. They were filming

'Stella', Ruth's new comedy/drama series, which is due for broadcast on Sky in the New Year.

On Friday's Breakfast Show (19th August), the 'Gavin and Stacy' star told Mark they've filmed a lot of the series in the Rhondda,

especially around Ferndale. And (off-air) before hand David Peet, the Producer, told us he always enjoys listening to

Gtfm every time he's in the Valleys. Nice one David!

Click here to 'listen again' to an mp3 recording of Ruth's chat with Mark

Note: the audio will take a short while to load and will probably open a new browser window on your computer.

When the interview is over press the 'back' button to return to this page.

Mark interviews Bella Vida and their dad!

After pacing up and down the Gtfm office corridor for two hours beforehand like an expectant father, Mark finally got to talk to his childhood action hero David 'call me Dai' Hasselhoff - and his daughters, who form the new singing group Bella Vida. The interview went well and was boadcast in two parts on Tuesday 16th & Wednesday17th August on the final hour of Mark's Breakfast Show.

To listen again via mp3 sound files click the links below:

Bella Vida + Hoff Interview - Part 1

Bella Vida + Hoff Interview - Part 2

You'll need to listen to the interview segments one at a time. When you click these links the audio will take a short

while to load and will probably open a new browser window on your computer.

When the interview is over press the 'back' button to return to this page.

Mark's 'All Hits' Breakfast Show Celebrates its First Birthday!

'Man of the people' Mark Andrews took over as the main host of Gtfm's weekday Breakfast Show on Monday 7th June 2010, following the decision by former presenter Becci Francis-Jones that 5 years getting up at 5am was quite enough, thank you very much! (Who can blame her?)

Having enjoyed deputising on the show before, Mark immediately volunteered - and despite dire warnings he may face early 'burn-out', his first fearless decision was to broadcast all of the show 'live', which meant he had to be at the GTFM studios well before 6am (the previous policy had been to pre-record parts of the first hour, making arrival between 6 and 7 possible). Other enhancements involving more preparation work included the introduction of a review of the morning papers, hourly sports headlines and more showbiz news.

Mark's Mystery is the tantalising, some would say downright annoying, 'guess what I'm talking about from these vague clues' competition that gets everyone going. Even though it's usually 'just for fun' (no prize) the phone-in lines constantly buzz with listeners' latest guesses. When he's collected a few from Gtfm's telephone answering machine, Mark reads these out on the show, awarding the incorrect ones, after a suspensive pause, with his now famous 'not-right' buzzer sound! It is not uncommon for a single mystery to go on for weeks, by which time people are almost hysterical in their desire to find out the mystery object's identity!

We are delighted to report that listener response to this competition and other things on the show has gone-up dramatically too! Well done Mark!

In early May this year, Mark was joined for the summer on the show by trainee journalist Carly Jones. A Church Village girl, Carly started formal post-graduate training as a broadcast journalist in September - but up'till then spent much of her time helping out at Gtfm, which all of us - and particularly Mark - were particularly pleased about.

Mark also loves getting out of the studio to meet Gtfm's listeners and is an enthusiastic supporter of the station's charitable and promotional events.

Here he is with Rebecca from RCT Council (mid May 2011 in Taff Street, Ponty) at a Gtfm Road Show involving the majority of Gtfm's main presenters encouraging Saturday shoppers to contribute to the War Memorial Appeal, jointly launched by Pontypridd Town Council and Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council. And yes, he did drop the pound coin into the bucket, rather than just demonstrate how that is done......

Between March and the end of May - and again from September to December 2011, RCT County Borough Council are sponsoring Mark's Breakfast Show in connection with their £10.5 million Regeneration of Pontypridd town centre, to draw attention to their special web site: