TV Weekly: From Merthyr Tydfil to Kuwait

Telly picks for the coming week…

Jamie Oliver is no stranger to campaigning, but this time it’s more personal than ever.

As one the UK’s most well-known figures who has dyslexia, Jamie delves into the challenges and issues that are still faced by children with dyslexia across Britain. Around 10 to 15% of the population are thought to have dyslexia and about 25% are neurodiverse, which means that a quarter of every class is struggling through an education system that wasn’t designed for them.

As science allows us to know so much more about the different ways we learn, Jamie asks why should we expect everyone to fit the same Victorian model of education and assessment and takes the fight to the government’s door.

As Jamie sets out on his campaign, he speaks to teachers, charities, parents and children who want and need a government intervention. Out of 100 kids, at least 10 to 15 have dyslexia but only two are diagnosed at school, meaning at least 80% go through the whole of their schooling undiagnosed. Early identification can change lives as without it, kids are more likely to struggle with confidence, self-esteem and anxiety that can stay with them for life.

As a parent of five kids, Jamie knows that teachers do a brilliant job and that they’re not the ones to blame, the system is. Despite a quarter of their classes being neurodiverse, a typical three-year training course for new teachers offers just half a day dedicated to children with learning differences, and teachers who are already in the role have little to equip them unless schools pay for it themselves.

With rising levels of awareness of Special Educational Needs and budgets that are being cut, our schools and teachers need help to support all their students equally, for a chance to level the playing field. Jamie asks his social media followers to help take the campaign to the government and is inundated with heartbreaking stories from kids, parents, adults and teachers who’ve all been let down and are desperate to do more. Things need to change, and fast, as Jamie takes his two key asks to Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education.

Channel 4, Monday, June 9th at 9 pm

Hot off the heels of the Gavin and Stacey Christmas finale Ruth Jones joins her good friend, actor and comedian Steve Spiers for an unforgettable weekend full of adventure, fun, and nostalgia.

Rather than jetting off to Miami or Monte Carlo, they’re heading to Steve’s hometown of Merthyr Tydfil in the South Wales Valleys. Once the ‘iron capital of the world’, Merthyr boasts a rich history – from pioneering the world’s first steam railway, to being home to the famous Hoover factory that produced the short-lived Sinclair C5.

But this trip isn’t just about Merthyr’s history; Steve wants Ruth to experience his Merthyr – the places, moments, and memories that shaped him.

Over the weekend, Steve takes Ruth to the places of his childhood. They hang out with Steve’s Merthyr mates and legendary locals and throw themselves into the town’s lively culture and busy nightlife. Together, they tackle trails at Bike Park Wales, drive a steam train at Brecon Mountain railway, face off in a bowls match at Steve’s childhood club, and feed the kids their post-match hotdogs at Merthyr RFC. And of course, no trip to Merthyr would be complete without a show-stopping karaoke night at Merthyr Labour Club!

After a weekend filled with laughter and reflection, will Ruth have fallen in love with the town that means so much to Steve? And will Steve feel Ruth is ready to be an honorary Merthyr girl?

BBC One Wales, Friday, June 13th at 9 pm – Across the UK on the iPlayer

Today, speed cameras are snapping more Brits than ever before – but is it really about safety, or are drivers just easy targets? In this eye-opening programme, 5 hit the road to find out what’s driving the nation’s speed camera boom, and whether the people behind them really have got it in for the Great British motorist.

Their first stop? Sutton-in-Ashfield in Nottinghamshire – home to what’s said to be Britain’s most profitable speed camera. The show meets some of the thousands it has caught and ask: what makes this camera such a cash machine? What we uncover is a nationwide shift; a focus on catching not just boy racers, but marginal and occasional speeders too.

Then it’s off to Wales, where 7,700 miles of 30mph roads became 20 overnight. Cameras join the frontline traffic cops enforcing this controversial new law – mobile speed cameras at the ready – and reveal why the 20mph revolution might soon be coming to your street… if it’s not there already.

Next, 5 ask what spending £1.5 billion on speed awareness courses over the past decades has really achieved. They hear from the boss of the organisation behind them, and some of the many millions who’ve been on a course. And in Sussex, the programme tests human versus machine, as it is asked: are traffic cops really any better than an automated camera?

Along the way, this documentary uncovers where all the money goes, reveals the four police forces that don’t operate any fixed speed cameras, meets the pioneer who introduced the speed camera to Britain in 1990 and explores why they might just disappear from the nation’s roads altogether.

It’s a journey that is by turns eye-opening and infuriating. In other words, a bit like driving in modern Britain – but without the potholes.

5, Wednesday, June 11th at 8 pm

Having become great friends since their meeting in ITV’s I’m a Celebrity… jungle, Sam Thompson and Marvin Humes now dive into their DNA journey to discover their family histories.

While former Made in Chelsea star Sam is somewhat clueless about his family history and petrified of what he might find, south Londoner Marvin learns the inspiring story of a formidable maternal great-grandmother who helped make his family’s dreams possible.

Sam is back on ITV with his Match Ball Mission for Soccer Aid. Sam takes on his toughest test yet, a 260-mile mission to get the Soccer Aid for UNICEF match ball from Stamford Bridge to Old Trafford in Manchester.

This challenge sees him take on five back-to-back endurance days running a total of five marathons and over 130 miles by bike – stopping at iconic football stadiums along the way, Sam gets a boost from famous faces as he battles the elements for a great cause – this show airs on Friday, June 13th on ITV1 and STV at 9 pm.

ITV1 and STV, Thursday, June 12th at 9 pm

This documentary recounts one of the most extraordinary – and until recently, officially denied – chapters of the Gulf War.

On August 2, 1990, just after Saddam’s forces storm Kuwait, a civilian flight unwittingly touches down in the middle of the warzone. The passengers and crew find themselves trapped, held as hostages by Saddam Hussein, becoming pawns in a rapidly escalating international crisis that will reshape the Middle East.

For over three decades, the British government denied any prior knowledge of the invasion before the plane’s ill-fated landing.

Now, new information has come to light to challenge the official narrative, and the surviving hostages are taking the British government and BA to court to seek justice and the truth. Featuring powerful firsthand testimonies from the key players, including the surviving hostages, Kuwaiti resistance fighters, investigative journalist Stephen Davis, and political insiders, Flight 149: Hostage of War is an unflinching exploration of a geopolitical scandal, decades in the making.

Sky Documentaries, Wednesday, June 11th at 9 pm