10 shortlisted in Welsh idol vote

Katherine Jenkins is the only woman on the shortlist

Stars from the world of music and sport dominate a shortlist drawn up to find Wales' national idol.

Singer Katherine Jenkins is the only woman to be shortlisted alongside fellow opera star Bryn Terfel.

Others include rugby player James Hook, and Blue Peter presenter Gethin Jones. Historical figures St David and Hywel Dda are also named.

Voting of the Welsh Assembly Commission contest continues until August when the winner is announced at the Eisteddfod.

Visitors to the Senedd and the North Wales Visitor Centre in Colwyn Bay have been voting for since 31 January for the person who best sums up what it is to be Welsh.

People have also been able to vote by post.

SHORTLISTED NAMES Ray Gravell Katherine Jenkins St David Gethin Jones James Hook Joe Calzaghe Tom Jones Bryn Terfel Hywel Dda Ryan Giggs

Around 1,000 votes were cast in February.

From Saturday - St David's Day - the public will be able to vote from the shortlist of 10 Welsh figures which has been drawn up.

Delyth Williams, events and marketing manager at the assembly commission, which is organising the vote, said the shortlist represents "those in the limelight".

She said many of the schoolchildren visiting the Senedd voted for their class teacher rather than a famous Welsh name.

She said: "At the end of the day we just wanted to find out who people thought, at this moment in time, was the Welsh idol.

"It's a really interesting mix. We weren't going to change it in any way so that we had certain names on the list or anything like that, so it's a true reflection."

The 2008 National Eisteddfod is to be held in Cardiff and the winner of the contest will be announced there.