TV presenter Katie Owen ridiculed over her Welsh accent at awards
Fast-rising TV and radio presenter Katie Owen has posted on social media about how her Welsh accent was ridiculed by two women who said they hate Welsh people.
Katie, who is from Merthyr and is one of the most in-demand young presenters in the UK, shared her story of how she was doing interviews on the red carpet at a business awards in London last night, when she encountered the anti-Welsh comments.
She posted on Twitter: “On a job tonight, doing interviews on the red carpet at an event, just walked into the toilets and heard two women slagging me off, saying my accent was jarring and they can’t do an interview with me because they hate Welsh people and don’t want to hear my accent.”
On a job tonight, doing interviews on the red carpet at an event, just walked into the toilets and heard two women slagging me off, saying my accent was jarring and they can’t do an interview with me because they hate Welsh people and don’t want to hear my accent 🙃
— Katie Owen (@Katieeowen_) January 26, 2023
Katie told Nation Cymru that the pair had earlier refused to do an interview with her – and how upset she had been on hearing their comments.
“I don’t know what business they were with or who they were because they refused to do an interview and speak to me,” she said. “I was upset and trying to remain professional. Then I overheard their conversation in the toilet when I was in the cubicle, they were doing impressions of Welsh accents too and laughing, when I walked out they went quiet and quickly left, I only saw them again at the end of the night quickly leaving.”
Katie whose tweet has now gone viral, also wanted to stress that the company she was working with were wonderful and didn’t want them to receive any negativity.
“I also just want to flag up too, the company running the awards were absolutely lovely and a pleasure to work with. I don’t want them to receive any negativity from my tweet. I was just venting about those two women and didn’t expect it to blow up.”
In response Katie had hundreds of people reply to her tweet telling her how wonderful her Welsh accent is and to ignore those who criticised her.
Get to know Katie…
Born in the Valleys of South Wales, Katie Owen is a London-based DJ and Presenter.
Katie recently headed out to the World Cup 2022, where she hyped up the crowds while DJing for the British Council and the Welsh Arts International. Nearly fluent in Welsh, she was also asked to act as an ambassador for Wales showcasing Welsh language, history and culture and appeared on international TV for networks such as BBC News World alongside fellow ambassadors, including football legend Ian Rush and Olympian broadcaster Colin Jackson. She was also Capital South Wales’ football correspondent, giving fans the latest updates and feel for the atmosphere during the tournament. Throughout her visit, she also filmed social content for TalkSport and JD Sports.
Katie landed the spot as tour DJ for Kasabian on their 2021 UK tour, this saw her playing at iconic venues across the country such as the O2 Academy Brixton. She’s also supported Blossoms & Rick Astley in 2021, iconic SKA band Madness in Dubai and South Africa 2020 and Jo Whiley’s 90s anthems in 2019.
Katie made her TV debut on Welsh-language show ‘Iaith ar Daith’ produced by Boom Cymru which aired on S4C in 2022 and has subsequently appeared on their popular chat show ‘Hansh’.
Katie has packed out tents at many legendary music festivals such as Isle Of Wight, Y Not, Neighbourhood, Tramlines, Snowbombing and more. After securing herself as a well-known face on the festival circuit, Katie was asked to host the Main Stage at Leeds Festival in 2021 and again in 2022. She was also the Welsh Fire DJ at The Hundred 2022, for BBC Music Introducing.
She is also a lifelong football fan, which sees her DJing at multiple Wales fixtures. Katie also hosted a podcast special combining sport and music for BBC Wales and fronted SportBible’s social content for the Women’s Euros in 2022.
Katie is an animal lover and is an ambassador for the The Rescue Hotel, a dogs home in Cardiff. She also works with Musicians Against Homelessness and Teenage Cancer Trust.
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…if that’s what the establishment Propagandists say about us (I refuse to call anyone working for the English press a “journalist” because I quite admire journalists), imagine what their scummy mates in power say when we can’t hear them….
Is it any wonder Cymraeg democracy is so easily trodden on by these people?
Hate bigots, love Katie. Simples!
Peace and love to Katie from independent tropical Merthyr. Keep your head up Katie. You can’t polish turds, so they roll themselves in glitter and put others down.
Turds rolled in glitter. No prettier and they still STINK!
“Nearly fluent??!!” Quote from above
Pity she didn’t take their picture…….show and shame
Sadly I have seen more abuse since the brexit hate campaign rolled out by little England. My kids abused by adults on holidays. But in truth it’s always been there. I was abused for my nationality daily for yrs living among them, as a child. I don’t know this journalists voice, but I bet its a lovely warm tone.
As was I when I resided in Sluff for a few years. Oh how their face changes when they hear the accent.
Majority of people from Wales won’t even bat an eye lid at this. But soon as you replace Welsh with another certain group of people, watch the melt down begin! You can always tell when someone hates themselves, it’s when they get upset at other peoples misfortune or treatment, but funnily enough is totally fine with how they get treated.
So what that some people don’t like the Welsh accent (whichever accent that is as there are different accents in Wales). We all dislike some accents. Welsh people need to stop letting others define who they are and have more confidence in themselves. This is not an excuse to hate the English just because of two ignorant people. The love of being Welsh should never be founded on the basis of hating the English. Not when many Welsh people have some English blood running through their veins.
Hear hear, I could name a few English accents that I find jarring as well, the hate there is for the Welsh is jealousy. We have our own language and culture and absolutely refuse to be Anglicised. Who cares what they think anyway? We don’t care because they don’t matter.
Katie; They are Neanderthal idiots but having said that there is so much anti-Welsh rhetoric out there. I have experienced it so many times in England. Sadly it is completely ignored because the mainstream media and social media just concentrate on LGBTQ+ and Trans issues. We are third class citizens of the so-called United Kingdom
You might hate the Welsh but the whole world hates the English and it is those two womens attitude is the reason why
I don’t know what’s more depressing – a couple of ignorant bigots or the fact you’ve made a major news story out of them. Surely a less misleading headline would be “Katie Owen ridiculed over her Welsh accent by two women in a toilet”?
Should have drowned them in the toilet
Unbelievable in this day and age, but it happens regularly. The amount of offensive anti-Welsh invective directed at Mark Drakeford on social media after the news of the sudden death of his wife was sickening.
Take no notice of rude idiots.Hollywood wouldn’t exist without the the Welsh.I was reading up on presidents of America and most of them have Welsh connections.
D on’t be too hard on those who suffer inferiority complex after the Welsh 5000 defeated 16000 English at Bosworth- a battle which led to the 1536 unification of Wales and England. The new Tudor king, raised in Wales, spoke with a Welsh accent and despised English (frenglish patois) like others of the ruling classes).
Unfortunately this kind of bigotry goes with the territory, there will always be those people who feel the need to tear down anyone successful or beautiful. It’s not even personal because they don’t know you, don’t take it on board. It’s just jealousy talking.