Comic is the Voice Of Wales

Comic Rhod Gilbert has been chosen as the Voice Of Wales.

The stand-up follows in the footsteps of Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Aled Jones and Charlotte Church in representing his county to visitors.

He was chosen from a host of other candidates to land the voiceover job on the Welsh Tourist Board’s adverts.

A spokesman for agents Comedy Store Management said: “The Welsh Tourist Board cast their net far and wide to find a voice with character, a sense of fun, wry humour, enthusiasm, pride, drive and energy and chose Rhod as their man.”

The tourist board’s latest campaign uses humour to seduce visitors with the principality’ s simple pleasures, using slogans such as: ‘Castles: 641, Starbucks: 6” and a photograph of a rugged mountain landscape with the caption: “Area of outstandingly bad mobile reception.”

The board originally set up a phone line to find a member of the public with an "honest, funny and welcoming" voice to front the adverts, before deciding to call on Gilbert’s professional services.

A spokesman said: "We had a fantastic response to the freephone hotline - and people left some excellent messages."

The ads are currently being aired across Britain.

Published: 5 Jan 2005