Gavin and Stacey finale set for Christmas Day premiere as BBC starts filming

Joanna Page and Ruth Jones during filming for the Gavin and Stacey 2019 Christmas special at Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales (Image: PA Archive/Andrew Matthews)

The BBC has announced that filming for the highly anticipated final episode of Gavin & Stacey has kicked off, with fans set to be treated to a Christmas Day broadcast.

The hit TV series originally aired for three series between 2007 and 2010 and made a comeback in 2019 for a one-off festive episode. Creators and stars James Corden and Ruth Jones have put pen to paper once more to bring the cherished series back for one last hurrah this festive season.

In a teasing glimpse at what's to come, the broadcaster shared an image of a clapperboard from September 2 emblazoned with "Gavin & Stacey The Finale", accompanied by the excited caption: "Oh. My. Christ." The reveal continued with the enthusiasm palpable: "The final episode of Gavin & Stacey started filming today," before declaring, "Truth be told, we're a little bit excited."

There was also a nod to fans: "Watch #GavinandStacey on #iPlayer this Christmas Day."

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The series, a staple of British TV since its debut in 2007 and when it returned with a bang in 2019 with a Christmas special viewers were left hanging as Nessa (Jones) propositioned Smithy (Corden).

At the ripe age of 46, talk show veteran Corden heralded the return of the show on May 3rd via Instagram, posting a snapshot of himself alongside Jones clutching the script for "Gavin and Stacey: The finale".

The show follows the long-distance romance of Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Stacey (Joanna Page), flanked by an eccentric family ensemble including Larry Lamb as Mick, Melanie Walters as Gwen, and Rob Brydon as Uncle Bryn.

In a revelation back in July, Corden let slip that the finale script was complete, penned in collaboration with Jones. The 2019 Christmas special episode garnered the highest overnight Christmas ratings in 12 years, drawing an average audience of 11.6 million viewers, marking it as the most-watched festive special since Christmas Day 2008.

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By the dawn of the new year, the programme had been viewed by a staggering 17.1 million people, making it the most popular scripted show of the decade at that point.

Subsequently, it clinched the Impact Award at the National Television Awards in 2020.

Gavin and Stacey finale set for Christmas Day premiere as BBC starts filming

Gavin and Stacey finale set for Christmas Day premiere as BBC starts filming

Gavin and Stacey finale set for Christmas Day premiere as BBC starts filming

Gavin and Stacey finale set for Christmas Day premiere as BBC starts filming

Gavin and Stacey finale set for Christmas Day premiere as BBC starts filming