An emotional James Corden and Ruth Jones have said working on Gavin & Stacey has been a “privilege” and a “wonderful journey”, as they prepare to say goodbye after 17 years.
The beloved sitcom, which they created together, follows the love story of Gavin from Essex (Mathew Horne) and Stacey from Barry in Wales (Joanna Page), and the lives of their families and friends.
It ran for three seasons between 2007 and 2009, becoming one of the most successful British comedies of all time, before returning after 10 years for a Christmas Day cliffhanger episode in 2019.
More than 18 million people watched as Jones’s character Nessa got down on one knee and declared her love for Corden‘s Smithy, but never got to find out his answer.
Jones and Corden pictured at the Gavin & Stacey: The Finale launch event. Pic: PA
Now, the BBC show returns at Christmas once again for what Corden and Jones have said really will be the final episode, giving viewers the chance to see how their characters’ unconventional off-more-than-on romance pans out.
The co-writers introduced Gavin & Stacey: The Finale at a special screening in front of cast and crew members in London on Wednesday, with Jones becoming emotional as she told the audience that a “sense of love” had remained throughout the series.
“Love between friends, love between family members, conventional boy-meets-girl love stories, and unconventional relationships,” she said. “I think that’s kind of remained the same. And the lack of cynicism has remained the same – all the characters in the show really do love each other.”
Corden said it had been a “dream come true” to have a show successful enough to be “considered worthy of a Christmas special” the first time around, let alone again.
Both have remained tight-lipped on how the story ends.
The first look at the final ever episode. Pic: Tom Jackson/PA
Reflecting on why Gavin & Stacey is so beloved, Corden said: “The more I’ve thought about it, I wonder if actually it’s a lesson in patience. We’re sort of told now, particularly in television, or the way we consume stuff – we talk about content and we talk about consumers and we talk about speed.
“Here’s a show that ended 15 years ago, waited 10 years to tell another hour of the story, and waited five more years to end it. Maybe the lesson for all of us – for people that write about television, for people that talk about television, for people that write television – is actually maybe time and patience and care might be the answer for things to have a longevity outside of what we consume on our phones.”
Both Corden and Jones said that after the Christmas 2019 cliffhanger, they did not know whether they would bring the show back. But in the summer of 2023, they decided to work on some ideas together.
“We both had the same idea, didn’t we?” Jones said.
Joanna Page, who plays Stacey Shipman (left) and Jones, pictured during filming for the special. Pic: PA
Gavin & Stacey also stars Larry Lamb and Alison Steadman as Gavin’s parents, Mick and Pam, Rob Brydon as Stacey’s uncle, Bryn, and Melanie Walters as her mother, Gwen.
“It may sound like complete nonsense [but] it doesn’t really feel like we’re in charge of writing it,” Corden said. “I feel like we just have to be together, and we sort of open a portal and the characters arrive and tell us.”
“Our cast just inhabit those roles,” Jones added. “I think it’s been very much a joint venture, in more ways than one.”
Jones praised the Gavin & Stacey crew for “making it so special, this final foray”. She also thanked Corden “for being my travel companion on this wonderful journey”.
Corden added: “What a privilege to have an idea with someone for whom it is just a joy to write with. I love you very much. I’m very proud of all of it. Thank you.”
Gavin & Stacey: The Finale airs on BBC1 at 9pm on Christmas Day