has raised more than £1.4 million for BBC Children in Need as he embarks on day four of his five-part Nations Cycle Challenge.
As he reached the waypoint, he spotted his husband, Arran Rees, and their beloved dog, Brillo, and burst into tears. Rees said it had been hard watching him from afar, but that Evans’s efforts had made him immensely proud.
Ahead of his fundraising challenge, Evans opened up about his sexuality on Vernon Kay’s Good News Wednesday. Owain told Vernon that he had worried that coming out publicly “would be the end of my career” when he landed his first TV presenting job at the age of 18.
He is now one of the most celebrated gay men in British TV and radio. He is best known for hosting BBC Radio 2’s Early Breakfast Show and previously presented weather bulletins on BBC Look North, Tonight and BBC Breakfast.
Starting day four
The challenge is beginning to take its toll. Evans said he is feeling exhausted, suffering from a bad back and knee pain, and admits he is “starting to run out of steam”.
Speaking to Sara Cox on BBC Radio 2’s Breakfast Show, Evan said: “I’m so tired this morning. Yesterday was a big, big, long day and I didn’t sleep very well last night. A really lovely comfortable bed, but just the brain going round and round, you know?
“I’m really worried about today because I just know the terrain of the day – only because it’s Wales – and I’m familiar with this part of the world.
“I’ve also got a bad back today. It’s quite a lot, actually. This morning is the first morning that I woke up and I was like, I really just want to have another hour and just not go out on the bike for a bit.
“The knee is… it’s bad. I hate complaining, I hate moaning, but I’m just being honest with you. I’m just starting to run out of steam.”
Welshpool to Blaenavon
Despite the pain, Evan is determined to keep going. Today, on day four, he is cycling approximately 80 miles from Welshpool to Blaenavon, facing 1,300 metres of climbing.
One of the biggest obstacles is The Tumble, one of the most notorious hills in the Welsh Valleys, known for its arduous ascent.
Speaking about the difficult terrain, Evan said: “Got to keep pushing. I’m scared about today because I know we’ve got some big hills. It’s on the hill the knee hurts, and it’s on a hill that I came off the bike the other day, so that’s always in the back of my mind. When you travel slow on a bike as you have to do when you’re going up these steep hills, and you’re clipped into the pedals, one wrong twist of the handle bars and you’re over.”
And before setting off on his journey, Evans named his bicycle Shania Chain after a suggestion from listeners (beating out other punny contenders like .
Owain Wyn Evans will be joined by Harri
Evan will also be joined by 22-year-old Harri from Surrey, who is living with the lasting effects of a brain tumour, for part of the Welsh leg of the challenge.
Harri experiences difficulties with his balance, coordination, concentration and energy levels as a result of his condition. Despite this, he is determined to take part.
Evan finishes on Friday 13 November 2026 in central Cardiff, coinciding with the BBC Children in Need appeal night.
In recognition of his fundraising efforts, Evan has been awarded the honorary title of Lord and Bailiff of Welshpool by the town’s mayor, Councillor Bill Rowell.
Presenting him with a special scroll, Rowell said: “Be it known that Evan Wyn Evans, broadcaster, drummer extraordinaire, and intrepid cyclist of the four nations, is hereby bestowed with the entirely unofficial and magnificent title of Honorary Lord and Bailiff of Welshpool, in recognition of his extraordinary determination, boundless enthusiasm, and remarkable efforts in cycling nearly 400 miles across four nations, in support of BBC Children in Need.”
A behind-the-scenes appeal film, Owain Wyn Evans: Four Nations Challenge for BBC Children in Need, will air on on 20 November at 7:30pm.