Scott Quinnell on ’emotional experience’ with S4C series Quinnell’s Try

Scott Quinnell has been talking about the emotional experience of learning Makaton’s sign language, as part of his new series on S4C.

According to the former rugby international, the opportunity to learn Makaton was one of the highlights of his adventures in the new series Cais Quinnell/Quinnell’s Try.

In the series Scott visits locations across Wales and experiences the different activities they have to offer. Makaton visual language is a way of using signs to aid language understanding, and also to learn Welsh.

Scott Quinnell:

“Sian and Ceri who taught me were fantastic. I learnt to sing Sosban Fach with Lleisiau Llawen Choir in Caernarfon – a choir for people with learning disabilities. That was a very emotional episode for me. I’m lucky they got me to do Makaton with them.”

In the series Scott also learns to be a drag artist, give pigs a spa and a how to yodel.

After a hugely successful career playing rugby for Llanelli, the Lions and Wales, Scott has turned his hand to presenting – in Welsh. S4C followed Scott’s journey to learn Welsh on the Iaith ar Daith programme in 2020.

Scott has spoken on a number of occasions about his struggles with dyslexia while growing up, but has overcome these with his positive attitude, his willingness to learn and to have a go.

One of his favourite Welsh sayings is ‘man a man and a mwnci’ – might as well.

Scott Quinnell:

“When I speak in public, what I try to portray to people is – try it. I’ve got that philosophy for things that I’ve never tried before, it’s give it a go. I make mistakes; that’s how you develop and get better. If you don’t make mistakes how do you learn? Learning Welsh has opened up loads of new experiences for me. We all have a role to play. When introducing Allez Quinnell out in France, a lot of the people I was talking to said I only speak a bit, well that’s brilliant. If you only speak a bit and then somebody speaks back to you, then you speak a little bit more, then we’re all moving the language forward together.

“The big thing for me is that people speak what they can and learn a bit every day; In a year’s time you’ll be a far better Welsh speaker and you’ll be continuing the language that we love. If we can do that year on year then we can grow as a nation.”

While touring Wales Scott also gets a lesson on how to be a drag performer with non other than Maggi Noggi. Scott added, “Wow! When Maggi Noggi walked in with her heels, well, she was six inches taller than me even! Well worth seeing!”

Cais Quinnell, Monday, 13 November 8.25 pm on S4C