Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
Lifestyle
Megan Nisbet

GMB's Susanna Reid and Ed Balls 'amazed' as Sean Fletcher shares Welsh language promise

Good Morning Britain presenter Sean Fletcher has shared the wonderful way in which he came to be a Welsh speaker. The newsreader explained it was all due to a promise he made his father-in-law on his wedding day.

The Countryfile host shared the lovely story with his GMB co-stars Susanna Reid and Ed Balls during the show that aired on Monday, November 28. As the programme came back from a break, Ed said to Susanna: "I was chatting to Sean just now, it's an amazing story."

"It is an amazing story," Susanna replied, before addressing Sean and adding: "Sean, for the people who weren't watching that particular moment behind the scenes, you were just discussing your ability to speak Welsh fluently and it was a pledge you made on your wedding day wasn't it, because your wife is, of course, Welsh."

Read more: Jason Manford 'petrified' as he spends night suspended from Welsh cliff

Sean explained: "My father-in-law is a retired Welsh professor, but he was a Welsh professor at the time, and I stood up on our wedding day after a glass of wine and I said 'I'm going to learn Welsh' and you know when you wake up the next morning with a sore head and think 'I'm sure I said something I wasn't meant to say'.

"But I sort of carried it through and my kids went to Welsh-speaking schools and I learned Welsh."

Sean Fletcher on Good Morning Britain (ITV)

Detailing his journey, Sean continued: "I was useless at languages at school, I was in all the bottom sets, but I think it's how you learn it and how motivated you are."

"It's hard isn't it, Welsh," Ed interrupted, before Sean jokingly responded: "Yes it's impossible, but I cracked it. No, any language if you've got the motivation and you learn it in the right way, which is just conversational stuff."

During the same episode, the GMB panel spoke about the Prince of Wales, Prince William, after he said he would be supporting both teams during the World Cup. It comes following the backlash the royal received for meeting the English players before they flew out to Qatar.

Sharing his opinion, Sean said: "He is the Prince of Wales and he is not supporting Wales... I think it was while he was handing out the shirts to the England football team before they left for the World Cup, I think Welsh fans, Welsh people, were a bit aggrieved by it because he is the Prince of Wales and if he can't bring himself to support Wales then why is he is the Prince of Wales?"

Sean went on to say he "felt sorry" for Prince William. He said: "I feel sorry for him, it is hard, it is a difficult position to be in but maybe it says a bit more about the title of the Prince of Wales, should there be one?" You can read more on this here.

Good Morning Britain continues weekdays at 6am on ITV. For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.