Jay Curtis

Early media career

Curtis started work as a freelance reporter with Newsquest Media Group, writing for his local newspaper in Ammanford

It was during a Newspaper Interview that he was spotted by Ray Gravell during his Wyt Ti'n Siarad Grav Roadshow, and producers later gave him the opportunity to work alongside the broadcaster supporting the remainder of his Roadshow. This was followed by music events on tour across Wales such as the Big Buzz and Pop Into the Park for BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru

Early radio career

After working at various BBC events he was offered a role presenting on his local community radio station Afan FM 107.9, at various Restricted Service Licence events, such as the Pontardawe Festival and Aberavon Beach Festival.

The station was later granted an FM licence, and re-branded XS Radio where he presented weekend shows, making him one of the youngest presenters on local radio in Wales.

Career information

In January 2007, he moved into commercial radio, following a successful interview with Town & Country Broadcasting and began hosting the Drivetime Show at their headquarters in Neath Abbey on 102.1 Swansea Bay Radio and 106.3 Bridge FM. His fun and lively style quickly saw him achieve the Breakfast Show, after building up a large and loyal following.

Aside from his role as a broadcaster, he also became an experienced producer, and his skills saw him work on "The Most Wanted Chart show" which became the syndicated radio show for selected commercial radio stations across the UK, along with producing the unique Sunday show for Comedian Mike Doyle, often from his cruise ships worldwide, which were later transmitted across the Town and Country Broadcasting network in Wales.

He's also achieved success as a voice-over artist, and can be heard on several high-profile TV and Radio Commercials across the UK. This includes the Government, several Car Dealerships, UPVC Windows, Cinemas, and local Councils and organisations.

In March 2010, and alongside his Radio commitments, Jay returned to writing and began work as a Celebrity Columnist for Swansea Life Magazine, part of South West Wales Media and County Life Magazine. This was later furthered by contributing to the Carmarthen Journal highlighting his weekly news and activity's on radio.

On 14 January 2014 and after 2 years of working on various stations across Wales he returned to present the Weekday Breakfast show on Nation Hits, Radio Carmarthenshire, Scarlet FM and Radio Ceredigion. He now also presents Daytime on Radio Pembrokeshire.

Television, film and theatre

Away from radio, Jay Curtis has also appeared on both television and international film, appearing as teacher Phil Prys in Pobol Y Cwm, and various other roles including the pilot episode of BBC drama Sherlock with Hartswood Films, leader of the Southrons in Merlin and Dr David Khalaf in Torchwood.

He has appeared alongside Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Matthew Rhys and Cillian Murphy in the movie Edge Of Love and his other TV credits include his role as Sibstar in Mistresses along with Casualty and as himself on ITV2's The Xtra Factor and Big Brother.

In early 2010 he was selected to front the Sky 3D launch on the Sky platform, promoting its very first broadcast of Manchester United vs Chelsea on a range of media platforms including magazines, billboards, trains, busses, the tube and he skin of the Sky HD and 3D outside broadcast trucks where it remains to the current day.

In 2011 Curtis completed a pilot game show with former You Bet and Stars in Their Eyes presenter Matthew Kelly called Shark Vs Bear, which had been positioned to Channel 4, however this was later altered to The Bank Job and the format changed.

Curtis has also been in theatre, appearing in a several family pantomimes and comedies across Wales, more recently in the role of barrister Brogan-More in the series Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie at the New Theatre, Cardiff. The cast included Honeysuckle Weeks (Foyle's War), Denis Lill (The Royal), Ben Nealon (Soldier, Soldier), Robert Duncan (Drop the Dead Donkey), Peter Byrne, Jennifer Wilson and Mark Wynter.

In August 2013 Curtis was signed for an advertising campaign to further promote tourism in Wales and became the official Voice Of Wales for the country's tourist-board, fronting the 2013 Visit Wales television advert worldwide, and replacing the previous broadcaster Rod Gilbert.

In December 2014, he will be appearing in the role of Dandini in the family pantomime Cinderella at The Lyric Theatre, alongside Emily Tucker from Pobl Y Cwm.

Private life

Jay still lives in South West Wales and regularly comperes a number of large scale music concerts and is often seen hosting events such as the Welsh National Wedding Awards, Local Hero Awards, and a variety of Fashion Shows for the South Wales Evening Post, and Maxine De Paris.

He's also previously volunteered as a Community First Responder for the NHS in Wales.

His event management skills were utilised to spearhead the first ever Sport Relief event in Swansea, which later became a national campaign, followed by the first ever Wales National Airshow. He has also served as Lord Lieutenants Cadet under Lord Morris QC of Aberavon, for the county of Dyfed, South Wales on behalf the Queen and as a Flying Officer RAF VR(T)in the Air Training Corps.

In 2012 and after several years with the organisation, he resigned as a Director from Spill Media having been instrumental in its set up to provide tailor-made media training and project-based digital inclusion activities to young people in South Wales.

He is also the stadium announcer for the Scarlets during home fixtures.