Main content

Ruth Jones, actor and writer

Ruth Jones, actor and writer, shares the eight tracks, a book and a luxury she would want to take with her if she were castaway on a desert island.

Ruth Jones is an actor and writer. She co-created and starred in the award-winning TV comedy series Gavin and Stacey, and also wrote and took the title role in the comedy drama Stella, which ran for six series.

She grew up in Porthcawl, in South Wales, where the local secondary school nurtured her love of performance. She took to the stage in numerous school musicals, along with fellow pupil Rob Brydon. After studying drama at Warwick University, she struggled at first to find work as an actor. She briefly considered becoming a solicitor, before she won the role of a ninja turtle in Dick Whittington at the Porthcawl Pavilion and gained an Equity card.

Her TV work ranges from costume dramas to comedies including Little Britain and Nighty Night. She developed the idea for Gavin and Stacey with James Corden when they were both filming the ITV series Fat Friends. The story of a boy from Billericay who falls for a girl from Barry, Gavin and Stacey began on 成人论坛 Three, with Ruth鈥檚 role as straight-talking, leather-wearing Nessa winning people鈥檚 hearts. She and James wrote every episode, and the finale, on 成人论坛 One, reached more than 10 million viewers.

Last year Ruth published her first novel, Never Greener, which topped the bestseller lists, and she returned to the stage in the musical play The Nightingales.

BOOK CHOICE: Halliwell's Film Guide
LUXURY: The back catalogue of The Archers
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Smooth by Santana feat. Rob Thomas

Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Sarah Taylor

Available now

35 minutes

Last on

Fri 18 Jan 2019 09:00

Music Played

  • Max Boyce

    The Ballad of Morgan the Moon

    • The Very Best Of Max Boyce.
    • EMI.
    • 4.
  • Jimmy Bryant

    Maria

    • West Side Story Original Soundtrack Recording.
    • Sony.
    • 5.
  • Bette Midler

    The Rose

    • The Rose.
    • Atlantic.
    • 12.
  • James Taylor & Carole King

    You've Got a Friend

    • Live at the Troubadour.
    • Sony.
    • 13.
  • Santana

    Smooth (feat. Rob Thomas)

    • Smooth.
    • Arista.
    • 5.
  • Rob Brydon, Ruth Jones, Tom Jones & Robin Gibb

    (Barry) Islands in the Stream

    • (Barry) Islands In The Stream.
    • Mercury.
    • 1.
  • Kate Rusby

    Underneath the Stars

    • Underneath the Stars.
    • Pure Records.
    • 12.
  • Amy Wadge

    Moon & Back

    • Recovery.
    • Amy Wadge Records.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 13 Jan 2019 11:15
  • Fri 18 Jan 2019 09:00

The Desert Island Discs podcast

The Desert Island Discs podcast

Subscribe or download individual episodes.

Listen to over 2,000 programmes

Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.

Articles

Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.

Podcast