I'm A Celeb castle behind Conwy county's UK City of Culture bid

The owner of the castle that hosted hit reality TV show I'm A Celebrity is behind a county's bid to be UK City of Culture - despite it not being a city.

Conwy county's application to become Wales' first UK City of Culture will be centred on the Unesco World Heritage site in the walled town of Conwy.

Thanks to a rule change, areas, cities or even communities can now bid for the next four-yearly honour in 2025.

"We may be small, but we are mighty," said Gwrych Castle saviour Mark Baker.

The Conwy council culture spokesman added the are in north Wales has "a reputation for already delivering world-class events and being a world-class destination."

"We believe that bidding for such a prestigious status such as UK City of Culture 2025 is a tremendous opportunity for which we are ready to deliver, as we prepare to launch a new culture strategy for the county."

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Ant and Dec presented the ITV show from Gwrych Castle last winter after the show's location was switched from Australia because of a Covid travel restrictions.

The owner of the castle hoped the international attention the county received during lockdown - including the I'm a Celebrity TV series - would help the county in its bid.

The area also hit the headlines thanks to the the NHS choir performance at Venue Cymru and videos of Llandudno's famous Great Orme goats - while Conwy itself boasts a 13th-century world heritage castle.

Wales rugby coach Wayne Pivac backed the bid saying: "What better place?"

The team are using Eirias Stadium in Colwyn Bay to train for matches against Argentina and Canada in July.

Conwy is set to enter the competition to become UK City of Culture 2025

"It's wonderful, so many cities want to try to get involved, and I'm pleased Conwy is making this effort.

"It's fantastic, it gives everyone an opportunity to show off what they can offer and there is certainly plenty here on offer."

Conwy council leader, Charlie McCoubrey, said culture was something Conwy had "always done really well".

Llandudno, the "Queen of Welsh Resorts", will be highlighted in the application

Citing Llandudno's 2018 hosting of armed forces day, the 2019 National Eisteddfod in Llanrwst and the filming of I'm a Celebrity, Mr McCoubrey claimed Conwy was "the product that will match what they are looking for".

He wanted to promote local culture, "events that happen day in, day out in every town and village".

"We're really proud to be a bi-lingual authority, 25% of our adults speak Welsh every day, 50% of our school children.

"We want to promote that and show the Welsh language as a living, breathing, vibrant thing."

He said cultural tourism brought £440m to the local economy.

"We very much see this new strategy as a driver of our economy and a way to recover from the damage that the pandemic has wrought on our community," he said.

It is believed the bid will use the county's historic and contemporary assets to try and sway the expert advisory panel, which will be choosing the successful candidate.

It will be looking for applicants to "articulate a vision which uses culture to transform a place through social, cultural and economic regeneration, making it more attractive to live, work, visit and invest in."

The Great Orme's Kashmiri goats invaded Llandudno during lockdown

The plan is the centrepiece of the county's culture strategy to to maximise potential visitors.

It is believed Llanrwst, Abergele, Llandudno and Colwyn Bay will also play major parts in the bid.

The Welsh government's Deputy Arts and Sport Minister Dawn Bowden said it would be "fantastic" to see somewhere in Wales wearing the city of culture crown, which is currently held by Coventry.

She said: "Being named UK City of Culture 2025 would be truly transformational for the winning bidder, and would be a real boost as we look forward to a brighter, more prosperous future."

Expressions of interest for the award need to be in by July 19.

The county is home to the world's first commercial inland surf lagoon at Adventure Parc Snowdonia

After that, a list of six places, to be chosen by September, will have until next January to finalise their bids.

Welsh Secretary Simon Hart added: "The UK City of Culture competition represents an opportunity to not only bring significant financial investment and regeneration benefits, but also to boost Wales' established reputation as globally-recognised creative hub."

Visits to shortlisted destinations by the advisory panel, chaired by Sir Phil Redmond, will take place next year.

The winner will be announced in May.

What's so good about Conwy?

Millions watched as Ant and Dec hosted I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! from Gwrych Castle

• The famous fortress that is Conwy Castle still towers over the town after 700 years and is one of the most famous in Europe.

• Llandudno, the so-called "Queen of Welsh Resorts," is the largest seaside town in Wales and home to its longest pier at 2,295ft (700m).

• Upon the Great Orme headland live a herd of Kashmiri goats that normally avoid the town, except during bad weather.

• Once an aluminium works Adventure Parc Snowdonia is now home to the world's first commercial inland surf lagoon.

• Millions tuned in to see Gwrych Castle play host to I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! when the ITV show was filmed there last November and December.

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