A man visited Merthyr Tydfil for the first time, and was left gobsmacked by one thing about the town. Kae Yilla is known for sharing videos exploring Wales online, and he recently headed to Merthyr Tydfil after people asked him to stop by.
The TikTok creator, 19, recently documented his journey to the town, which is often talked about due to its crime and poverty rates; however, when he arrived, he was surprised at what he witnessed. In a candid clip, he gave an honest review of the Welsh town, even though there were one or two things he didn’t quite understand.
For those who have only seen Merthyr portrayed on TV, many will link it back to the Channel 4 series Skint, which focused on depicting life in some of the most deprived areas of the country. However, even back then, not everyone thought it painted a totally honest picture.
Speaking of his experience in the town, Kae said: “From what I can see so far, damn, there are no recoginsable shops. It’s half past five and everything is closed.
“Merthyr looks amazing in the sun though. It doesn’t seem that bad to me. I don’t see anything happening. This is the shopping centre.
“Some very average shops to be fair. I don’t know why there is no one here. It’s dead. It’s deserted. There’s really not much going on here.”
He confessed he discovered what he believes was the “biggest Poundland” he’d ever encountered but, apart from that, he felt the place appeared rather deserted. Additionally, Kae noted the town appeared “clean”, despite the subdued atmosphere.
Kae spent time wandering the high street and discovering some peaceful areas for strolling. He described the location as having “everything you need” for daily life.
He found it challenging to articulate his impressions as the town felt so eerily quiet. Although he acknowledged he hadn’t ventured far beyond the town centre, he awarded it a 6.5/10 rating, describing it as quite pleasant.
The footage has attracted hundreds of views since being posted, prompting numerous viewer responses. They shared various perspectives.
Warning: Below video may contain offensive language
One viewer commented: “Where did everyone go? I live in Merthyr and I swear it’s never that empty.” Another contributed: “See, it’s not that bad out there. The castle is really nice.”
A third responded: “You should have gone to Gurnos.” Meanwhile, a fourth also remarked: “Looks dry.”
Someone else also weighed in with: “Valleys aren’t ghetto. They are just isolated, in complete decline, zero opportunity. Different to ‘rough’ areas in London.”
Despite the negative perceptions surrounding Merthyr Tydfil, the crime statistics in Merthyr Tydfil stood at 83.88 offences per thousand inhabitants for the year concluding December 2023, based on Police.uk data. This figure sits below the South Wales force area average.
