Tory councillor raises concerns over mention of ’18 rated’ Netflix show in tourism document

Twm Owen – Local democracy reporter

A Tory councillor has questioned a plan to boost tourism in a Welsh county by highlighting links with hit Netflix show Sex Education which he dismissed as “18 rated”.

Described as a “teen sex comedy drama” the programme ran on Netflix for four seasons, from 2019 to 2023, and was set in the fictional town of Moordale but filmed around Tintern, the Wye Valley and Caerleon.

The hit series launched the career of Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa and also featured Gillian Anderson. Its links with Monmouthshire are highlighted in a glossy 35 page document that outlines how the county council will work with the local tourism industry, and others, to promote the county to visitors.

Tourism is estimated to have generated £352 million for the county’s economy, in 2024, from 2.28 million visitors and supported 3,422 full-time equivalent jobs which is around 15 per cent of all posts in the county.

The council’s destination management plan includes three references to Sex Education highlighting Tintern is not only home to its gothic abbey, that traces its history back to the 12th century, but is where main character Otis and friend Eric, played by Gatwa, lived in the show.

Monmouthshire is also described as having “inspired” its stars and producers. The brochure also states US beat poet Allen Ginsberg was motivated by Monmouthshire’s landscape “and a little LSD” to write an ode to Wales and the county for The New Yorker magazine in the 1960s.

But when the tourism document was approved by the council’s Labour-led cabinet refences to Sex Education caused Conservative opposition leader Richard John to raise an eyebrow.

The councillor for the Mitchell Troy and Trellech ward, near Monmouth, questioned if the series should have been included.

He asked Cllr Sara Burch, the cabinet member for tourism: “Do you think it’s appropriate to promote tourism in Monmouthshire with a TV series that has an age 18 rating?”

Labour’s Cllr Burch responded: “I think it’s appropriate to promote tourism in Monmouthshire with a series that has won multiple awards and has many millions of viewers globally who’ve chosen to watch it and have seen the Wye Valley and some of them may want to come and see it in person.

“I don’t think that’s an opportunity we can afford to ignore for our tourism businesses.”

The plan sets out how Monmouthshire will focus on attracting visitors from across the UK, boosting overnight accommodation, its potential for attracting niche visitors from cyclists and hikers to golfers and fishing holidays.

It also proposes establishing a destination management partnership, chaired by a cabinet member, and include members from the public, private and third sector.

At the cabinet meeting Cllr Burch, council leader Mary Ann Brocklesby and Cllr John all paid tribute to the council’s destination manager Nichola Edwards who is retiring after 26 years working for the authority and was described as “the face of Monmouthshire tourism.”