Welsh actress Ruth Jones has revealed the Gavin And Stacey finale might not be what viewers are “expecting”.
In May, the show’s co-creator James Corden announced the BBC comedy series, co-written by himself and Jones, would be returning for one last episode on Christmas Day.
The hit TV series aired between 2007 and 2010 and returned in 2019 with a one-off festive special that ended on a cliffhanger when Vanessa Shanessa “Nessa” Jenkins (Jones) proposed to Neil “Smithy” Smith (Corden).
Speaking to Big Issue about the new episode, Jones said: “I keep telling people this finale might not be what you are expecting.
“And I guarantee we will definitely not be coming back.”
Corden, 46, added: “What people are going to see on Christmas Day is the culmination of a 20-year love story, which hopefully shows, if nothing else, that love is complicated and messy and for everyone.”
The special takes place five years on from the previous instalment and will see Gavin And Stacey “looking for new ways to spice up their 17-year marriage”, while Nessa begins a new business venture, according to the BBC.
Corden and Jones, 58, also starred opposite one another in TV series Fat Friends, which ran from 2000 to 2005.
After the success of Gavin And Stacey, Jones went on to create and star in Sky One comedy drama Stella, while Corden fronted The Late Late Show on US TV.
Reflecting on their friendship and a reunion they had some years ago, Corden said: “My wife organised a surprise birthday party for me in Mexico.
“Lots of my friends walked in with a mariachi band playing. Then my wife said, ‘There’s one more person here.’
“Ruth walked into the room and I just burst into tears. I couldn’t believe she was there. It was so special.
“It’s that strange thing, isn’t it? If you haven’t seen someone for a while and they walk in, you’re suddenly aware of what you mean to each other.
“I can’t tell you how we’ve changed. But I know we have changed a lot.”
“We are kinder to each other now,” Jones added.
“We’ve grown up a bit.”
Corden agreed and said: “I can only speak for myself, but I treasure our friendship more today than I ever have. And I value it even more than the show.”
The 2019 festive episode of Gavin And Stacey won the impact award at the National Television Awards in 2020.
It scored the highest overnight Christmas ratings in 12 years, attracting an average audience of 11.6 million viewers, making it the biggest festive special since Christmas Day 2008.
By the new year, it had been viewed by 17.1 million people, making it the most-watched scripted programme of the decade at the time.
Gavin And Stacey: The Finale will air on Christmas Day from 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Read the full interview with Jones and Corden in this week’s Big Issue.
