15 September 2025

Wales’ former first minister Mark Drakeford has said he had “no interest” in a career in politics when he was younger.

That’s one of the revelations in the new series of Cyfrinachau’r Llyfrgell as the National Library of Wales opens its doors once again to some of the country’s biggest stars.

The programme will return for a second series on S4C on Tuesday 16 September at 21.00, with four of Wales’s best-known personalities discovering treasures from the National Library of Wales.

Alongside the former First Minister, actress Dame Siân Phillips, former rugby union player Scott Quinnell, and author Caryl Lewis will reveal remarkable stories from Welsh history.

But in the first episode, it’s Mark Drakeford who has the honour of stepping into “the nation’s memory” in Aberystwyth, as he prepares to step down from the Senedd after 15 years.

As the MS for Cardiff West adds to the archive some of his own documents, which date back to the dawn of devolution, there’ll be an opportunity to explore over a century of the nation’s history.

Among the treasures are David Lloyd George’s initial notes for the People’s Budget, Llandrindod Wells’s bid to be named Wales’s capital city and Mark Drakeford’s official portrait.

The fact that some of his own documents will now be part of the collection is a matter of great pride for Mr Drakeford.

“I’ve been so lucky to have these experiences and to give something back to other people, people who want to understand how it was at the time,” he said in the programme.

But things could have taken a different turn had Mr Drakeford listened to his 10-year-old self.

“I had no interest in being a politician.  I say that now because it’s true, it’s a matter of chance that I’ve done the job that I’ve done,” he added.

“The work I enjoyed most was when I worked with Rhodri Morgan.  I was behind the scenes.  I had no plans to do the same thing.

“I just thought and thought, and in the end I thought, I’d better try, I don’t want to look back and think ‘What if’.  And here I am, I’ve been here since 2011.

“But I had no intention at all, I had no plan when I was younger to do something like this.  When I was growing up, I remember thinking who I wanted to be, when I was 10 years old.  I’m going to open the batting for Glamorgan, that’s what I wanted to do.”

Presenter Dot Davies returns to guide viewers through the collections, with Dr Maredudd ap Huw, the Library’s Curator of Manuscripts, providing context and depth to each discovery.

In a 2020 review by the Welsh Government, the National Library of Wales was described as ‘Wales’s best-kept secret’, and once again it plays a vital role in the series.

The second series will be launched at a special event on Monday evening at the National Library of Wales.

S4C’s Chief Executive Geraint Evans said:

“Collaborating with our partners to make Wales thrive is one of the central pillars of S4C’s new strategy, More Than a TV Channel, and this series is a great example of that strategy at work – a series which puts Wales’s culture and history in the spotlight.

“As a public service broadcaster, we are always pleased to have the chance to shine a light on some of our nation’s dearest institutions and are extremely grateful to the National Library of Wales for the opportunity.

“S4C is proud of Cyfrinachau’r Llyfrgell’s success, which won an RTS Cymru award this year, and we are delighted to discover more secrets from our national treasure trove.”

Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, Chief Executive of the National Library of Wales, said:

“We are delighted to see Cyfrinachau’r Llyfrgell return to our screens, thanks to our creative collaboration with Slam and S4C.  The response to the first series has been incredible, with a number of people saying they had made a point of visiting the library having watched the first series.

“It was an honour to welcome once again our country’s most distinguished people to discover their stories through the national collection.  It’s a wonderful way for us to show that there’s something for everyone in the library, and to share more of Wales’s stories.”

Executive Producer Geraint Rhys Lewis, from Slam Media, added:

“We are grateful to S4C for placing their trust in the series and to the team at the National Library of Wales for their unwavering collaboration as we realise our vision of presenting our history in an engaging way and creating a buzz around our National Library.”

Cyfrinachau'r Llyfrgell (Best Kept Secrets) Series 2 airs at 21.00 on Tuesdays on S4C, S4C Clic and BBC iPlayer.