A son, brother, father, husband, friend. A hero – or nemesis – on the rugby pitch. A passionate commentator and familiar face on television. A proud charity ambassador. OBE. Son of Trimsaran. Welshman. Jonathan Davies means a lot of different things to a lot of people, in Wales and far beyond.
And as he marks his 60th birthday, S4C will host a special celebration among Jiffy’s family and friends, in a special programme called Jonathan 60, to be shown on Thursday, October 27.
Held at the Coal Exchange in Cardiff, Eleri Sion guides us through the story of Jonathan’s life; from the euphoric highs on the rugby pitch and the happy family times, to the tragic events which have also changed his life.
We’ll also hear some amusing anecdotes from his friends in the world of rugby and broadcasting, including Shaun Edwards, Andrew Cotter, Sarra Elgan, Alex Jones, John Inverdale, and of course, Nigel Owens.
We’ll also catch up with another of his old friends, former Widnes and Great Britain Rugby League team-mate, Martin Offiah. Jonathan’s switch from rugby union in Wales to professional rugby league in northern England in 1989 sparked a media circus, and Martin witnessed it all.
Martin said: “He took over the back page of every single red top newspaper in the country – The Sun, The Daily Mirror, The Star, and I realised what star power was all about. I didn’t know what the word paparazzi was until Jiffy walked out from the bench (on his debut), and there’s more photographers around him than Princess Diana. I’m walking out to play and I’m thinking, ‘I better have a good game today!’ I scored five tries, but I don’t think I even got a mention in the report after the game!
“Hands down, Jiffy was the most talented footballer I ever played with. I loved playing with him, it was an honour to say that I’d played with such a great player. But I had to score a lot of tries to get noticed!”
But amidst the plaudits and success, a dark cloud appeared over Jonathan and his family, as his wife, Karen, was diagnosed with cancer. The family moved back to Wales, but Karen sadly passed away in 1997.
Jonathan said: “We came home to have the family around is, and that was the first time we met the people from Velindre. It was important to be back in Wales, but unfortunately it didn’t work out and she died young. The kids were 7, 3 and 1, and they were my world. So I had to pull my socks up and go to work. That’s what I’ve always tried to do, work hard and if bad thigs happen, you have to fight against it.
“The children have turned out great. Of course, they miss their mam, but I hope they realise everything that we’ve all been through. Life can change just like that so it’s important that you enjoy it. I’ve enjoyed my life a lot with my kids and now with Jay – it’s fantastic.”
Jonathan has since played a key role in helping raise £40 million for the Velindre Cancer Centre charity, through a number of extreme challenges which have pushed him and others to their limits.
“It’s not me who’s raised this money, there’s a big team who have done it, people from across the country who have come together for one cause,” added Jonathan. “People have lost friends, family and we’re just trying to raise money to help the hospital and to make things a bit easier for the people who are going through it now.”
Join in the celebrations at 9.00pm on Thursday night, 27 October, on S4C. English subtitles available.
