I've become an honorary Merthyr girl

Steve Speirs takes Ruth Jones on a tour of his hometown, Merthyr Tydfil, in a show showcasing all there is to love about the Welsh town. By RACHAEL DAVIS

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“I think it’s a thing about being Welsh - we are a very melodramatic people!” says actress, writer and comedian Ruth Jones.

“And we can be incredibly passionate and reactive but also we can be very down to earth seconds later.”

This observation comes as the Bridgend-born actress, 58, describes her writing process with fellow Welsh actor Steve Speirs. The pair have teamed up for the BBC's Ruth And Steve: From Merthyr With Love, which sees them explore the Welsh town.

Ruth is perhaps better known for her collaborations with her Gavin & Stacey co-star James Corden, with whom she not only wrote the hit show, but worked on a book: When Gavin Met Stacey And Everything In Between: A Story Of Love And Friendship.

“Obviously I write a lot with James Corden and we have a different way of working together than me and Steve,” Ruth explains.

“I don’t know if it’s because we have the same Welsh thing going on and we share that and both of us, being actors, tend to improvise. We act out who the characters are and what they'd say, what they’d do. And I know what's going to make you laugh, Steve.”

For Steve, 60, whose TV credits include The Tuckers, Upstart Crow, and Sky comedy-drama Stella, humour is key.

“I think that humour is pretty universal in a fundamental way. It’s about the detail. As soon as somebody sees something that they recognise, they emphasise with it and then they're part of it. Laughing is a shared experience,” he says.