When a concept for a rugby programme was greenlit in 2004, Jonathan Davies wasn't sure what to anticipate. The show, inspired by a similar one in New Zealand, would simply be named 'Jonathan', focusing on all aspects of rugby during various tournaments and featuring interviews with numerous guests. It would be in the Welsh language and aired on S4C in the lead up to a rugby match that following weekend. But little did Jonathan know back then that the programme would become a hugely successful one and is by now regarded as one of S4C's most beloved, popular shows to date. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter. The show has been on our small screen for over two decades, garnering audiences both in and outside of Wales. Its presenters - Jonathan Davies, Nigel Owens and Sarra Elgan are all familiar faces in the rugby world, but it is this show that has brought the three and the Welsh rugby community closer together. On an unusually warm and sunny day in February at an industrial park in Splott, Cardiff, the three are about to film an episode of the show during this year's Six Nations tournament. At the start of the interview, I ask them what does a usual day of filming look like, which leads the three to start teasing each other on who arrives on set the latest. "Why are you laughing now?" Sarra asks Jonathan. "He'll say that I'm the latest but I've been good this series." She continues: "Once, I was doing a shoot for the Six Nations out in Rome and I had to come back really early. I woke up at silly o'clock like four o'clock in the morning. "These two beforehand were like, come on, we have to be early, we have to be here at 2pm. I got up really early, got the 6.30am flight from Rome and I was here before Nigel, who wasn't here because of cow carving. So I could get from Rome and be here on time, but he couldn't come from west Wales and be here on time." When the three are on set, their day begins with a read through at 2pm. They then go into rehearsal before they get themselves ready, while the audience make their way to the set. Filming the episode usually begins at around 7pm. Each year, the programme produces two series - one during the Six Nations tournament and another for either the autumn international, Lions' Tour or World Cup, with the occasional special episode.. And while the show very much focuses on the rugby tournaments, over the years, it has become much more than that. "It's about rugby, but the show isn't that sporty," Jonathan said. "When they came up with the idea back in 2004, the show would be about rugby but it had to have the right personalities." When asked what was his initial thought on the show was, Jonathan said: "I had never presented, Nige had never done telly, it was a bit of a gamble really. But the glue in it has always been the presenters." At the start, the show began with Jonathan Davies, Nigel Owens, former rugby union and rugby league player Rowland Phillips and presenter Eleri Sion. The show then saw a slight change when Rowland and Eleri left due to other work commitments and presenter Alex Jones was brought in, taking over from Eleri's spot as presenter. In 2010 however, Alex left to join BBC's The One Show and that's when Sarra Elgan came on the scene. "I've known Sarra since she was that size," Jonathan said, placing his hand about a metre from the floor. "I know her mum and dad very well. I knew she was professional, but she was funny as well. And that's how the show came about. It started off as an idea, personalities and guests made it, and here we are." Joining an already established show may have been a daunting prospect for some, but for Sarra it became all the more easier as she knew both Jonathan and Nigel well, the latter of which jokes that "she just came in and took over". "Jonathan has always been in my life and I knew Nige through rugby, of course," Sarra said. "It made it really easy. We didn't have to create a relationship really, because we already had it." She continued: "There is never a dull moment. I think the reason we get on is because we can all say pretty much anything to each other without anyone getting offended. "I think that's why it works both off and on camera. We get at it sometimes, we don’t always agree, but none of us take offence because we know each other so well now." According to Jonathan, it all boils down to the mutual respect the three have for each other. "We understand each other," he added. "We know what everyone does and how that contributes to the show. We all come from different backgrounds as well, our sense of humour is different but it works." For Nigel, presenting on Jonathan often "doesn't feel like work". He added: "It's like a hobby or a group of friends coming together and having a chat, which we obviously get paid for doing, but we love doing it." While the camaraderie between the three is evident both on and off the camera, the three have also shared the red sofa with hundreds of guests over the years. From celebrity chef Bryn Williams and opera singer Bryn Terfel to actress Mali Harries, Pendulum guitarist Peredur ap Gwynedd and comedian Mel Owen, as well as rugby players such as Shane Williams, Mike Phillips, Josh Macleod and Jonathan Davies, the three said they loved every guest they've had on the show. But a few have stood out for them. "It was Ray Gravell for me," Nigel said. "He was just a character. He came on the show twice. He came on not long before he died and his leg had been amputated. He was such an iconic figure, a larger than life character, such a lovely guy. "I met him when I was a young kid, I was watching my cousin play for Wales youth I think it was. I think they were just finishing playing, he was there commentating for Radio Cymru I think, and people in the stand were pointing, 'look it’s Ray Gravell behind us'. He came down and had a chat with us, signed a few things. He was a character." For Jonathan, it was the late drug smuggler and author, Howard Marks. He recalled: "He came on, he sat with a bottle of red wine and he had a spliff. Whenever there was a break, he would go outside, have a smoke, then come back in. He was a brilliant storyteller." Sarra added: "You can always tell when Jonathan is engaged. Sometimes he sits back, but when Howard Marks was on and telling his stories, he sat there, leaning forward, listening to every word." And for the presenter, her most memorable guest was the iconic actress Sian Phillips, who has appeared on the show twice in the past. "She was such a lady and has had an amazing career," Sarra said. "You know when someone has an aura about them? I just found she had a real aura about her, she had amazing stories, she was really engaging. I remember meeting her years before then, S4C had done a documentary about her life, and I was her as a little girl, as a seven or eight year old version of her. So to have her on this show was almost like a full circle. I just think she’s an incredible woman." Following Covid, the show has also included Zoom call interviews, which means that they can welcome non-Welsh speaking guests to be interviewed in segments of the programme. But on the other side of the small screen, this Welsh speaking show has remarkably been able to attract people outside of Wales and the language. Don’t miss a rugby story, sign up for our newsletter. "We've had loads of people watching our show," Nigel said. Sara then added: "I remember Pat Lam, Bristol's head coach, telling me, 'I watched Jonathan last week'. There are people that you weren’t expecting to watch it." Jonathan said: "Another one is Sharleen Spiteri. "I was at a hotel in Manchester once, she was there because she was going to a car festival. I was thinking to myself, that’s Sharleen Spiteri over there. Her husband, Bryn Williams, has been on the show. She came up to me and went, 'I love watching your show'. I couldn’t believe it. "It’s really odd, knowing the different people who watch it. I've had Italians come to me and say they watch the show. The Irish tell us they watch the show too." Nigel added: "We've had rugby players come on the show that used to watch it as kids - Jonathan 'Fox' Davies, Sam Warburton and so on." Evidently, the show has become so much more than what the three anticipated, not only garnering audiences outside of Wales, but also shining a light on the Welsh language and its uses, especially in the world of sport. "I thought my Welsh wasn't good enough to do presenting," Jonathan said. "But I think we've done more for the Welsh language than a lot of other things. We've invited guests that aren't that comfortable speaking Welsh to come on our show and made them comfortable. We had Ruth Jones once, she was amazing. "She had wanted to come on the show for years but was always worried that her Welsh wasn’t good enough. We had Scott Quinnell, another one who was worried his Welsh wasn't good enough. And I think that’s been the achievement of the show, making people aware that these people do speak Welsh." Nigel added: "I think the success of the show is that, yes, we have Welsh speakers who watch it but it has also gone beyond that. It’s broken those boundaries. Learners particularly enjoy our show, learners are a part of our live audience on the show, which is lovely to see." Keeping audiences engaged in both languages has proven to be a success for the show. But with Welsh rugby currently facing a difficult period, do the trio ever find it difficult to keep audiences engaged in rugby-related content? "Since this show has started, we've been through ups and downs when it comes to Welsh rugby," Jonathan answered. "It doesn't make any difference to us. We understand what the players are going through, the managers are going through, what the fans are going through. We go through it ourselves with our careers in rugby too. We try to manage it as well as we possibly can. We have to keep that credibility and maintain that relationship." And through the ups and downs, it's clear that the rugby community still remains stronger than ever, which Jonathan agrees the show reflects quite well and has done so for more than two decades. For the trio, being a part of such a successful Welsh show has made them feel "fortunate". "We feel incredibly lucky," Jonathan said. "We've had success in both languages, we enjoy each other's company, we enjoy what we do. The longevity of this show means a lot to us." Sarra added: "If I don’t chat to these two for a while, it feels strange. I don’t tell them enough how fond I am of them. I look forward to doing a series with them." Nigel concluded: "This show has brought me friendship and enjoyment, that's the reason I do it. It's something you look forward to and when it comes around, it's great. It's part of the build up for the weekend, people enjoy the programme and can look ahead to the rugby match ahead. We’re part of it."