0:00:07 > 0:00:09Outside, ladies. Outside!
0:00:09 > 0:00:1212 months ago, Welsh rugby legend Gareth Alfie Thomas
0:00:12 > 0:00:14took on his biggest challenge yet...
0:00:14 > 0:00:15HE YELLS
0:00:15 > 0:00:21..training a team of 16 fun-loving but totally unfit ladies to run
0:00:21 > 0:00:23the Cardiff Half Marathon.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25OMG!
0:00:25 > 0:00:28It was 16 weeks of pure purgatory.
0:00:28 > 0:00:29Go!
0:00:29 > 0:00:34But, in the end, all 16 of Alfie's angels crossed that finish line.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36We did it!
0:00:36 > 0:00:38THEY CHEER
0:00:38 > 0:00:40And now, one year on,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44glutton-for-punishment Alfie is back for second helpings.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48But, this time, I'm going to super size it.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Because, this year, just to make life even harder on himself,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53he's going to try and train...
0:00:53 > 0:00:54not one,
0:00:54 > 0:00:56not two,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58but three teams of angels to run the
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Cardiff Half Marathon.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02THEY CHEER
0:01:02 > 0:01:04So will that mean three times the fun?
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Or triple the trouble?
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Wupa-hey-wupa!
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Will Alfie's latest clutch of angels raise him up to heaven?
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Or drag him down to hell?
0:01:22 > 0:01:26No, he's just caught us having a fag. Well!
0:01:26 > 0:01:27Oh, you did put them in there?
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Well, well, well.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32We won't be doing this by the end of it. We will give up.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Hoo!
0:01:42 > 0:01:42Gareth Alfie Thomas is a living legend
0:01:42 > 0:01:46with a life full of firsts.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53He was the first Welsh rugby player to 100 caps.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57The first openly gay international sports star.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01And then, just last year, came his crowning achievement,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04when he became the first sporting gay icon with 100 caps
0:02:04 > 0:02:09to persuade 16 reprobate Welsh women
0:02:09 > 0:02:14to ditch the fast foods, the fags and the booze
0:02:14 > 0:02:19and successfully train to run the Cardiff Half Marathon.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21But having reached this pinnacle in life,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24how is Alfie to top last year's triumph?
0:02:24 > 0:02:25Simple.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29He's going to do it again, but this time it will be bigger,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32bolder, barmier...
0:02:32 > 0:02:33COMPUTER: 'Gareth Thomas here.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36'Have you ever fancied running a half marathon but think you're
0:02:36 > 0:02:39'so unfit, so out of shape, that you never can?'
0:02:39 > 0:02:40In May of this year,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Alfie put an online shout-out to the people of Wales.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46'I'm looking for 100 Alfie's Angels,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48'so if you're a member of the public, who's never run
0:02:48 > 0:02:52'a half marathon before, but would be keen to train over the summer,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56'and if you can form a team of five people, I'd love to hear from you.'
0:02:56 > 0:03:01Hi, I'm Heidi. I'm Susan. I'm Siobhan. I'm Jill. And I'm Jo.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04ALL: And we want to be Alfie's angels!
0:03:04 > 0:03:08In his search for 100 new angels, Alfie asked for a short video
0:03:08 > 0:03:12from every interested team telling him why they wanted to take part.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Never run it before, always wanted to,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17but always had a little bit of cushion.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20And soon the applications began flooding in.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22ALL: Hi, Alfie!
0:03:22 > 0:03:25We want to be Alfie's Angels because Alfie is awesome.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29Alfie is lovable. Alfie is fit. Alfie is inspirational.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Alfie is enthusiastic. And Alfie is our...
0:03:32 > 0:03:35ALL: Superhero! Oh! They give me goose bumps.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Hello, my name is Ellen.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43This year, I'm celebrating ten years since my heart transplant. Oh, wow.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46My consultants say that I need to aim to run a marathon.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50In fact, Alfie received over 70 videos from all over Wales -
0:03:50 > 0:03:52some of them were very funny.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54We're just waiting for our fifth member now,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56who's always running late.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Here she comes. Oh! Oh, God, Jasmine.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03HE LAUGHS
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Some were slightly alarming. Hi, my name is Roxanne. I need your help.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10A typical day in my life consists of McDonald's for breakfast,
0:04:10 > 0:04:14Burger King for lunch and McDonald's again for dinner.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16And if I continue down this road, I'm going to end up like this.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19So please pick me and help.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21And some were just downright bonkers.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27# I want to break free
0:04:27 > 0:04:29# I want to break free... #
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Turn about now!
0:04:31 > 0:04:33# God knows... #
0:04:33 > 0:04:38THEY LAUGH HYSTERICALLY
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Oh, they were... That is amazing. That is brilliant.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45That is truly, truly brilliant.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Alfie now had a bit of a dilemma. 78 teams had applied,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53but he could only pick 20 of them to make up his hundred angels.
0:04:53 > 0:04:59Please pick us! Alfie, please pick us! Hm. So what was he to do?
0:04:59 > 0:05:00Please pick us,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03you really won't regret it.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Yeah, one, two, three, four. Can you hear me?
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Well, there was only one fair way out of his predicament -
0:05:08 > 0:05:10to draw names out of a hat.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Team number seven.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14The Hywel Dda Hobblers.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16Just to make sure he wasn't cheating,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19it was all recorded live for the BBC Wales Facebook site.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22It's team 37. The Sofa Surfers.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Once the 20 chosen names had been pulled from Alfie's bobble hat,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31there was one very important task left -
0:05:31 > 0:05:36to reveal which three teams he would be following with the TV cameras,
0:05:36 > 0:05:40up close and personal, throughout their 16-week training programme.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45In the end, there were three teams that stood out for Alfie,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47each for different reasons.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50My name's Sian Morgan and I'm 34.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53I'm only doing it because I'm getting married next year and
0:05:53 > 0:05:55I don't want to be a fat, old bride.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00Team number one are five nurses and health care assistants working
0:06:00 > 0:06:03on ward 12 of the acute medical ward of
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Royal Glamorgan Hospital in the Rhondda.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09I chose the Royal Glam nurses because I thought they were
0:06:09 > 0:06:11a really cohesive, good group of people,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14but I thought they'd spent so much time looking after everybody
0:06:14 > 0:06:16else they've kind of forgotten about themselves
0:06:16 > 0:06:17and let themselves go.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22Team number two. We're a group of mums from Ty Gwyn School.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28We've all got disabled children and life is incredibly difficult
0:06:28 > 0:06:29for all of us.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32The Ty Gwyn mums' children all attend the same
0:06:32 > 0:06:34special needs school in Cardiff.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36I chose the Ty Gwyn mums because I think they're an
0:06:36 > 0:06:38amazing group of women.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41I think, from the moment they wake up in the morning until the
0:06:41 > 0:06:44moment they go back to bed, they're looking after other people.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Pa-pa-pa! Hey, buddy!
0:06:46 > 0:06:50And if anybody deserves to have something done for themselves,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52then it's this group of women.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54And last, but by no means least...
0:06:54 > 0:06:57ALL: We are the girls from Pro Nails.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00We can only run like snails.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02We will do our best to run like the rest.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06We're only good at tanning and nails.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Team number three, The Flying Filers,
0:07:08 > 0:07:12five batty beauticians from Haverford West.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14I chose the nail bar girls because I think they'd bring something
0:07:14 > 0:07:17completely different to the other two teams.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19They're very lively, they're very outgoing, but also I think,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22underneath the make-up, I think underlying,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25there's something else and I want to find out what that is.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32So, three different teams in three parts of Wales
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and only 16 weeks to turn them into athletes.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39Time Alfie paid each a visit to find out what makes them tick.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Alfie's first stop, the Royal Glam nurses.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47On their feet all day, working 12-hour shifts, up and down
0:07:47 > 0:07:49those corridors and wards,
0:07:49 > 0:07:53they must be as fit as a flock of butchers' dogs...
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Or not. My fitness regime, I'd say, is quite poor.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58My fitness is terrible.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01My fitness regime is zero at the moment, to be honest.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Don't do anything.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06I probably walk the dog - that is the most exercise that I get.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08As for exercising,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10I take my dog for a walk and that's about it.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13And exercise is not the only issue.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16I skip meals a lot and then just eat junk food.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19I class myself as being overweight.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21I'd like to lose a little bit of weight.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25I've tried dieting many times - it doesn't last.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Not that the nurses are wholly to blame.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Many of our patients or relatives, when they leave,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33they often give us boxes of chocolates.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34We have cakes, chocolates,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37biscuits, sometimes the same person
0:08:37 > 0:08:39fetches four boxes of biscuits in.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41And, of course, you've got to eat them.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43By the end of the day, there's, like, two tins of
0:08:43 > 0:08:45biscuits gone and two boxes of chocolates.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47You know, and then you think, "Oh, my God,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49"did we just eat all of that?"
0:08:49 > 0:08:55So, five unfit life-saving cookie monsters. Over to you, Alfie.
0:08:55 > 0:08:56THEY LAUGH
0:08:56 > 0:08:58You look like a bunch of naughty schoolgirls who've done
0:08:58 > 0:09:01something wrong. Right, let's get down to business.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Who's the ringleader of this?
0:09:03 > 0:09:06ALL: Michelle. Michelle, are you the one who put up for it?
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Well, sort of. We saw the poster in the office, me and Sarah... Right.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11And we were, like, yeah, let's do it.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13She was more up for it than me, I've got to be honest.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15And then we roped the other girls in.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17And what did you think when they asked you?
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Yeah, I was really up for it. Yeah? Yeah, really.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21What about you? 100%. Yeah?
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Hmm. THEY LAUGH
0:09:26 > 0:09:32Not so sure. No. Why? Is it a fear of exercise?
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Well, I don't know. Exercise scares a lot of people, see.
0:09:35 > 0:09:36Definitely.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Yeah. What's your history of exercise?
0:09:39 > 0:09:41I'd do it but then I would quit. Oh, is it?
0:09:41 > 0:09:44So you get to a certain stage and then you stop going.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47I'm excited, I'm just buzzing for it.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Keep on top of each other. Yeah, yeah.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Do you bounce off them? Yeah. Yeah?
0:09:52 > 0:09:54THEY LAUGH
0:09:54 > 0:09:59Bless her. I'm feeling her fear here. I'm feeling her fear.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03Introductions to the bouncy, giggly, nervous nurses over.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Shall I do you up? Yeah, do me up, lovely.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08It's time for Alfie to work the wards and get to know them
0:10:08 > 0:10:09a little better.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Ready? I'm ready, yeah.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15We are only making a bed, aren't we? I'm just getting that right.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20First task, changing 28 beds with angels Zoe and Joanne,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23where the bedside news flash is that mum-of-two Joanne
0:10:23 > 0:10:24has just got engaged.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Wait a minute! THEY LAUGH
0:10:27 > 0:10:29You can't just chuck that in. You're getting married?
0:10:29 > 0:10:33I got engaged at the beginning of the year, yes. OK, so is this...?
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Is this...? Motivation, yes. Yes. Yes, definitely.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39For being fitter. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Do you have, like, a target?
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Well, I've always sort of gone by how I weigh and things,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45and it's never really worked out to me because I lose the weight
0:10:45 > 0:10:48and I put it straight back on. I've never worked out -
0:10:48 > 0:10:51I've only just dieted. I've always been afraid of exercise.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Ah, right, OK.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Fellow mum-of-two Zoe has also got some refuelling issues.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01So, how do you feel your lifestyle is as far as your diet goes?
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Terrible.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07I miss breakfast, I miss dinner and then I just have, like,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09something for tea, and then I'm snacking all night because
0:11:09 > 0:11:12I've had nothing for breakfast and nothing for dinner.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Do you know if patients come in who lived exactly the same
0:11:15 > 0:11:19way that you live your lives, what advice would you give them?
0:11:19 > 0:11:21We'd tell them off. We'd say, "You must eat breakfast,
0:11:21 > 0:11:22"you must eat dinner and
0:11:22 > 0:11:25"you must make sure that you drink!" Yeah, yeah.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27All right, John?
0:11:27 > 0:11:28Out on the rounds,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31it seems that confidence is the issue for angels Lee and Sarah.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35What are these girls like with you, bud? Absolute fantastic. Yeah?
0:11:35 > 0:11:38And they've got a steely determination, which is good
0:11:38 > 0:11:41for when they run this race. It's very good for when they run it.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45Absolutely. What do you reckon, lovely? Is he right? I think so.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50Sure? At this moment, no. This one seems very scared.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52I don't know if she's scared of me,
0:11:52 > 0:11:54or scared of the prospect of doing it.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58Lacking confidence and essential nutrients, Alfie is worried
0:11:58 > 0:12:02the Royal Glam nurses won't have the stomach for a marathon.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05What does team leader and deputy sister Michelle think?
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Our diets are rubbish. Right. We will be honest. Right.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10And obviously we've got to change our diet plan.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13and we've just got to get there. We want to do it. Yeah.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16It's just, we've got lazy and we've just got into the routine.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18OK. That's the challenge. Yeah.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Alfie's next port of call is Haverford West,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33where a non-descript industrial estate on the outskirts of town
0:12:33 > 0:12:36conceals the poshest parlour in Pembrokeshire.
0:12:36 > 0:12:37ALL: Cheers!
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Here, the beauty therapists of the ProNails beauty salon are
0:12:40 > 0:12:45for everything from colourful cuticles to luscious lashes.
0:12:45 > 0:12:46For a bit of a laugh,
0:12:46 > 0:12:49five of the beauticians applied to be Alfie's angels
0:12:49 > 0:12:51and sent him a cheeky little rap.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54ALL: As long as we don't break a nail,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56we will eat the curly kale,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59and maybe run faster than a snail!
0:13:01 > 0:13:05But now that they've been chosen, it appears the joke's on them.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Well, I just don't know what I've let myself in for.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08I don't want to do it!
0:13:08 > 0:13:10SHE LAUGHS
0:13:10 > 0:13:12I'm a bit nervous, to be honest.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14I'm dreading the training
0:13:14 > 0:13:16and being put through assault courses.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18I hate it.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20I don't like hurting.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22I drink, I smoke,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24and I'm a nail technician. I'm a beautician.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27I'm not somebody who goes out and does running.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31Like, we have to actually run the marathon - the half marathon -
0:13:31 > 0:13:34I can't visualise that yet.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37In order to help them visualise their predicament,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41and Alfie's impending arrival, the ladies take some Dutch courage
0:13:41 > 0:13:45and hit the hacker. Come on, this is private, it's OK. We are wild.
0:13:45 > 0:13:46We really are wild.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Ha-kare-keetiya!
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Wupa-hey-wupa!
0:13:51 > 0:13:53We're a fun bunch and we are a good team,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55so he's going to have a lot of fun with us.
0:13:55 > 0:13:56Upa!
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Upa-para-paka-leekiteya!
0:13:59 > 0:14:00Hoo!
0:14:00 > 0:14:02We're ready to shock Alfie, I think.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04He thought he was going to surprise us coming in,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07but we're actually going to surprise him.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11# Sweet little angel eyes... #
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Oh, here they are!
0:14:13 > 0:14:16THEY WHOOP
0:14:18 > 0:14:20HE LAUGHS
0:14:20 > 0:14:22THEY CHEER
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Oh, they've got a little dance as well!
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Yay! Rhythm! He's a good man! HE LAUGHS
0:14:28 > 0:14:30Now, there's a surprise!
0:14:30 > 0:14:32So you are...
0:14:32 > 0:14:37I'm Cat. Cat. Angela. Angela. Betts Ann. Right, OK.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40So where are we at, girls? Cos you all look super fit, I must admit.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45We are far from fit. Really? I don't even own trainers. Oh, right, OK.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Genuinely, so Lisa does no running at all.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50I'm knackered from just moving in there.
0:14:50 > 0:14:51THEY LAUGH
0:14:51 > 0:14:54You walked it well, old girl, you walked it well.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56Can I just touch your face? Yeah, go on, why? What's the...what? What?
0:14:56 > 0:14:59I just can't believe that you're here.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Oh, right. No, I'm here, lovely,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06and I'm real. I used to watch you on the telly, like, you were the...
0:15:06 > 0:15:07legend. Oh, wow.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10And now you're standing here, it's, like, I'm a bit...
0:15:10 > 0:15:13You're like the David Beckham of the rugby world. Do you know what?
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Seriously, probably within the next 20 minutes, you'll be
0:15:16 > 0:15:17so over that, yeah, yeah. THEY LAUGH
0:15:17 > 0:15:20You'll be over it. It's like, "Shut up, Alfie."
0:15:20 > 0:15:21Trust me, yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25We have drunk about half a bottle of Pimm's before you arrived, so...
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Oh, OK. Just to get a couple of swigs in there. Right.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Oh, cos I didn't know if I could smell
0:15:30 > 0:15:32a smoker in here or it was the poppers that were going off.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35So how many smokers altogether? Three? Three.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Girls, do you realise you'll be doing, like,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40a lifestyle changing thing? Yeah, can I drink on weekends?
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Listen, everything is moderation.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45We haven't come to, like, totally change your life.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49We've come to make your life better, we hope. Do you drink?
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Yes! Ahhh! What do you think?
0:15:52 > 0:15:55I do everything in moderation, but I train extremely hard as well.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57So, at the end of the marathon, we'll have a drink together.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Oh, at the end of the marathon, we'll have a big, big party.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03That's exactly what we want. Yeah, a big party.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05But before there's any party,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08there's going to have to be a heck of a lot of hefting.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11And are these lush ladies really ready to get their exquisitely
0:16:11 > 0:16:16manicured nails dirty? Salon owner Lisa's not convinced.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19So where are you as far as fitness-wise goes?
0:16:19 > 0:16:23I am like your typical couch potato.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26I hate fitness. I hate exercise.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28I hate being hurt.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30HE LAUGHS
0:16:30 > 0:16:34So is there anything you like? No, nothing at all.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37The only fitness I do is shopping.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39And the vibe's no better with Angela.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43So what's your experience or history of keeping fit?
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Nothing, really. Nothing. Running-wise? History of running?
0:16:47 > 0:16:50I don't like running. No? No.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52So if I ever need you, you're usually shopping? Yeah.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Where Lisa is, where you go. And you holiday together?
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Socialise together? Drink together? Yeah.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Is that a bit of a downfall, do you think, for the two of you?
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Um, probably, probably.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06SHE LAUGHS Yeah?
0:17:06 > 0:17:08OK.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12So far, Alfie's got two shopaholics who'd rather drink than run.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16So what have glamour girls Cat and Betts Ann got to offer?
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Right, girls, what do you want to get from all this?
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Well, for me, I definitely want to become fitter. Right. Yeah.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25I want to give up my smoking. So you're one of the smokers?
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Yeah, I am one of the smokers.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Yeah, get fitter, look better, isn't it? That's good.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Yeah, that's what I want from it.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Again, for me, it's to get a bit fitter.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36I've only ran... I did the Race For Life,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39but I was drunk from the night before.
0:17:39 > 0:17:44So to do something sober, running, and just to enjoy it.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46And I really can't imagine...
0:17:46 > 0:17:49I can't imagine myself doing the marathon.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52OK, so it's something you think that is, right now, in your lives,
0:17:52 > 0:17:54totally impossible. Yeah, like, there's no way.
0:17:54 > 0:17:5713 miles is... A long way. That's a long, long way. Right, OK.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59So you are both very,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03very glamorous and I'm sure image has a lot to do with your lifestyle.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06It means a lot. So how do you feel you are going to cope with
0:18:06 > 0:18:10the training regime...? Bumbag. We've bought a bumbag.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12We've bought a bumbag for our lip gloss and bronzer.
0:18:12 > 0:18:13And make-up to come with us. Leopard print.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15We'll be spray-tanned every week.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19Leopard-print bumbag, so when we're running...
0:18:19 > 0:18:20We can touch up. Yeah?
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Ah, so, maybe, you're not trying keep up fitness-wise,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27we've got a competition of glamour going on here.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29When you're fit and you're healthy, you look it, don't you?
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Yeah, you glow.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33You have a natural glow. You have like a natural glow.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Yeah, but we're not that natural. There's lots of other fake bits -
0:18:36 > 0:18:39fake tan, fake nails... Fake boobs. Fake boobs, yeah!
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Did you not feel that maybe, by getting fit and maybe giving up
0:18:43 > 0:18:47smoking and cutting down the partying lifestyle,
0:18:47 > 0:18:52that the image may all of a sudden be not as relevant
0:18:52 > 0:18:54because you'll feel so good about yourself? Never.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Really? 100%.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58And what about make-up and everything when you're sweating...?
0:18:58 > 0:19:00BOTH: That's why we need a bumbag.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Yeah. To top up. Right, OK.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06THEY LAUGH
0:19:06 > 0:19:08So what's the verdict, Alfie? It pains me to say,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11but I can't see them doing it. I really can't see them doing it
0:19:11 > 0:19:13because it seems like that they care so much about
0:19:13 > 0:19:17so many other things that are, to me, pointless and meaningless...
0:19:17 > 0:19:21and the things that I find really relevant and important are
0:19:21 > 0:19:23pointless to them.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26So, you know, we're going to come to a point where one of us is
0:19:26 > 0:19:27going to have to fall
0:19:27 > 0:19:30and I'm not going to be the one to fall.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43Alfie's final stop is the Ty Gwyn Special Needs School in Cardiff.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45This third team of angels is made up of eight mums,
0:19:45 > 0:19:47whose children all attend the school.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54Ty Gwyn caters for up to 150 children, aged three to 19,
0:19:54 > 0:19:58all with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Hayley?
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Hiya, yeah. Lovely to meet you. I'm Gareth.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Before he meets all eight mums, one of them, Hayley,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07has agreed to give Alfie a quick tour of the school.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11Obviously, school is a huge part of our lives.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Huge support to us as parents, you know, aside from family,
0:20:14 > 0:20:20I would say this is probably the most important aspect of our lives.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22With an emphasis on learning through play,
0:20:22 > 0:20:27the whole school is geared towards stimulus and enrichment activities,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30something Alfie can totally get on board with.
0:20:30 > 0:20:31Yay!
0:20:31 > 0:20:34This is a school of children with special needs,
0:20:34 > 0:20:38but, ultimately, it's a place of happiness. One, two, three, go on...
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Muak! Yayyy!
0:20:41 > 0:20:45Every child is smiling. Every teacher is smiling.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Whoa. Is that nice? Is that nice?
0:20:47 > 0:20:49And you don't get that in many mainstream schools.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51You don't get that happiness.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54This school is an amazing, amazing place.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Hello! How are you doing, girls? Are you all right?
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Having toured the school, it's time to meet the mums on his team.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05First things first - he needs to resolve a bit of a dilemma.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08There's eight of us altogether. There's eight altogether?
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Yeah. Oh, right, because obviously
0:21:10 > 0:21:12there's only five we can fit in a team,
0:21:12 > 0:21:16so I thought what we'll do, to start, is real simple.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18No, if you all lie on the floor. Turn around. Simple.
0:21:18 > 0:21:19We have to get five.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Seriously, lie on the floor, facedown, to do a press-up.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Lie on the floor? It's clean! Come on! I'm serious.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27THEY LAUGH
0:21:27 > 0:21:30I'm serious. So go on the floor in the press-up position.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34I'm genuine, now, I swear. There's room over here.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Come on, split up, ladies! Jesus. Oh, my God!
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Girls, do you realise how stupid you all look right now?
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Get on your chairs! Get on your chairs!
0:21:43 > 0:21:47HE LAUGHS
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Well, at least I know you're up for anything.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51At least I know you're up for anything.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55I've been on a tour of the school and it's been absolutely fantastic.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57But all you lot, then,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00the little I've learned so far, I can obviously imagine that
0:22:00 > 0:22:05the time taken up in your lives must be phenomenal.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09So, to find the time to do this, how the hell are we going to do it?
0:22:09 > 0:22:12I don't know. And why the hell are you doing it?
0:22:12 > 0:22:13THEY LAUGH
0:22:13 > 0:22:15OK, so why the hell are you doing it?
0:22:15 > 0:22:18I had quite a busy job before I had kids and,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21since having four kids and my last one being disabled,
0:22:21 > 0:22:25I've just lost my confidence. I tried to go back to work,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29I couldn't do it. You become a bit of a recluse, so your body...
0:22:29 > 0:22:30Not only is your body unfit,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33your mind and your head just all starts to go.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37And, for me, it would be getting back a bit of my personality.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39That's it for me. It would be a bit of an emotional journey, I think.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41It'll be emotional.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43If you have an emotional attachment to something,
0:22:43 > 0:22:44then you'll try so much harder.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Do we have anyone else with...? This is a real, real challenge for me.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Right.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Because of the lack of sleep, grabbing what I can eat here,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55grabbing what I can eat there, and all of those obstacles.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59So it's trying to prioritise things as well. Yeah.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03If my son's had a really bad night and he's had loads of seizures,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06and he wakes up in the morning and he smiles.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09And you think, "Oh, my God." You know, if he can smile after
0:23:09 > 0:23:14the night that he's had, and get on with his day, it's got to be...
0:23:14 > 0:23:16This is something that I'm going to be able to do. Yeah.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19Do you not look in the mirrors and think that you are
0:23:19 > 0:23:22inspirational people to other people as well?
0:23:22 > 0:23:23ALL: No.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26No? Really? I find that really interesting.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28You don't see yourself as a person any more,
0:23:28 > 0:23:32you see yourself as a full-time carer and a mum and
0:23:32 > 0:23:35a nurse and a doctor, and everything else that goes with it.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Yeah.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Impressed by the mums,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42it's only when Alfie talks to them about life outside of school
0:23:42 > 0:23:46that he begins to realise how challenging things really are.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48My son, he's been diagnosed with
0:23:48 > 0:23:50pervasive developmental disorder.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52It's on the spectrum of autism.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57He's eight. He has no speech. His mentality, I would say,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59is of a three-year-old.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01He's a happy boy, though. He is happy.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06Jonah, he's non-ambulant, so he can't walk, doesn't crawl,
0:24:06 > 0:24:10no speech, he is tube-fed, not because there is anything
0:24:10 > 0:24:13physically wrong, he just refuses to eat.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16And he's recently been diagnosed with autism.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21My son's got autism. He's non-verbal and he's eight.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25He's got a lot of sensory issues and he self-harms sometimes.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Imogen is ten years old.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31She was born with a rare genetic condition called Angelman syndrome.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35She has profound and multiple learning difficulties.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37She is non-verbal.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40She understands an awful lot, although there's no vocalisation.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Grrrr. SHE GIGGLES
0:24:42 > 0:24:48I've got five children - Theo is my youngest. He has severe autism.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53He self-harms. He's non-verbal. Can be very, very unpredictable.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57He will throw himself to the floor, head-butt, pinch, bite, kick.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02I've got two children. My daughter's 14 and currently doing her GCSEs,
0:25:02 > 0:25:06and I've got an 11-year-old son with special needs.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09He's got severe learning difficulties and epilepsy.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12I've got my little girl Emily, who's nine.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14She's autistic, but she has seizures as well.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18Then I've got my son, who's 11, Scott, but he's in a wheelchair.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20He's a lot more severe than Emily.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23He can't walk, talk, feed himself, toilet himself.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Both of mine have autism,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29but they're very different, so my son's got no speech whatsoever,
0:25:29 > 0:25:31but he understands everything you say
0:25:31 > 0:25:33and he's quite chilled and calm.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37OK. And then I've got Charlotte, my daughter. She's a real character
0:25:37 > 0:25:39and she's got speech, but you couldn't really have
0:25:39 > 0:25:43a conversation with her, but she can let you know what she wants.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47Are you finished? Finished. Finished. Finished. OK.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Every day is different. You don't know what is going to happen.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52You become isolated, because we can't...
0:25:52 > 0:25:54We can't go bowling, we can't go to the cinema,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57we can't go in a restaurant, we can't go even in shops with him.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Do you get a worry every single day? Yeah.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Are you always kind of on edge?
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Always. For a phone call or... Always.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08You kind of do it. You have to get on, that's just your life, you know.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10I really don't know how I learned to cope with it,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13but you do and you have to. We've got to be strong for our kids.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16I've just kind of got used to it, really.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19This is my life and this is what I've got to deal with.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21I don't really dwell on it.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24It is what it is and you've just got to cope with it, really.
0:26:24 > 0:26:29So, given the daily trials these ladies face, why would they want to
0:26:29 > 0:26:32put themselves through the torture of training for a half marathon?
0:26:32 > 0:26:34I don't know.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36I think it's come to a point in my life, well, one, the fitness,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39I want to make sure I'm fit and healthy.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43And two, I think that it would put me in a better place to do
0:26:43 > 0:26:46better for my family if I could do something for myself.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Getting fit is actually a big thing, isn't it?
0:26:49 > 0:26:51So we can stay fit and strong for longer,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54cos I do worry about what happens when we get old
0:26:54 > 0:26:56and who's going to look after him.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59I think the next 16 weeks we can do, definitely.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01And even the half marathon, although it sounds ridiculous,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04because I can't even run down the road. Right. That, I think I can do.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07What scares me is not sticking with it. Yeah.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11And that's why I get emotional because we have to...
0:27:11 > 0:27:13cos our kids run. They're impulsive.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16They lose control in public places.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19You have to be able to keep up with them. Yeah. We're getting older.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Your joints are going, your ankles are going
0:27:21 > 0:27:23and your feet hurt.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Don't know what the future holds - can't think about that.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28But, for now, we've got to chase them. Yes. So we've got to be well.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30We've got to be mentally well as well, you know,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32look at the state of me!
0:27:32 > 0:27:33SHE LAUGHS
0:27:33 > 0:27:35There's nothing wrong with the state of you.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Ohhh!
0:27:38 > 0:27:41'It's not often that I'm lost for words. But, I tell you what,
0:27:41 > 0:27:41'if it's done one thing for me, it's stirred my emotions.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44'I'd love to be able to say right now that I have
0:27:46 > 0:27:48'no doubt that these people will be able to do it.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52'But these women in particular, not their lifestyle choice,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54'but the life they have to live,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57'is so much taken up by other people that for them to find the
0:27:57 > 0:28:01'time to do something for themselves is going to be the challenge.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03'I am honoured that I can be a part of it
0:28:03 > 0:28:05'and I want to see them succeed
0:28:05 > 0:28:08'because, if anybody deserves it, this group of women do.'
0:28:15 > 0:28:18So three teams of angels for the TV series -
0:28:18 > 0:28:22the mums, the nurses and the nail-bar girls -
0:28:22 > 0:28:27with another 17 teams to make up Alfie's hundred and, ahead of
0:28:27 > 0:28:33them all, a long, hot summer of sweat, sprains and tears.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37Go, go, go, go, go. Let's get it started. It's a race!
0:28:37 > 0:28:39Next time on Alfie's Angels...
0:28:39 > 0:28:40It's a race!
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Oh, I'm dying!
0:28:42 > 0:28:45It's no pain, no gain as the angels
0:28:45 > 0:28:50attempt to go from cake to 5K in just 28 days.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53It's worth it to have a snog off of Alfie. Ah!
0:28:53 > 0:28:55Alfie fumes at the smokers.
0:28:55 > 0:28:56I'm looking at you like that and
0:28:56 > 0:28:59you've got your head down you're not even looking,
0:28:59 > 0:29:01you're not even listening to her. I am. You're not, pet.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03You're sitting here and you're just paying lip service.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07Come on! And all hundred angels get kicking. Fabulous!
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Hello, I'm Sima Kotecha with your 90 second update.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47Ukip has a new leader.