The format is adapted from the French hit Les Rencontres du Papotin

A Welsh-language version of The Assembly is in the pipeline at S4C from Caernarfon-based production company Cwmni Da.

Y Cyfweliad (The Interview) will comprise four episodes in which a different Welsh celebrity will face probing, unrestricted questions from a group of 30 autistic, neurodivergent and/or learning-disabled interviewers.

The show’s format is an adaptation of the French series Les Rencontres du Papotin, created by Kiosco TV and Quad Ten and distributed by CAN’T STOP Media. Since its launch on France 2 in 2022, it has been broadcast in 13 countries including Australia, Spain, Brazil, the Netherlands, Singapore and Norway, with a further eight – including Wales – preparing to launch their own versions.

World-famous guests to have featured in other versions of The Assembly include French President Emmanuel Macron and actors such as Marion Cotillard, Antonio Banderas, and Sam Neill.

In the UK, the BBC piloted an English-language version in April 2024 with actor Michael Sheen, followed by a full ITV series in spring 2025 featuring David Tennant, Danny Dyer, Jade Thirlwall and Gary Lineker.

Llinos Wynne, S4C‘s head of docs and specialist factual, said: “I’m incredibly proud to have commissioned Y Cyfweliad for S4C. It’s a truly unique chat show, and one I’m genuinely passionate about.

“Unlike many others, the guests aren’t there to promote themselves and their work or to push any agenda. The real joy comes from the natural moments that go from deeply personal reflections to wonderfully mundane conversations, like waiting for the bus!

“This is a series that’s inclusive, refreshingly honest, and approaches disability with warmth, humour and authenticity.”

Image credit: ©Rockerdale Studios