She knows her character was the villain of the piece
The actor who played Smithy’s fiancée in the last ever episode of Gavin and Stacey has apologised after having to play the role of the villain.
The BBC was King of the Christmas Day broadcasting battle, cheerfully stomping ITV‘s offerings into festive paste in the ratings thanks to a roster that included the new Wallace and Gromit film and the last ever offering of Gavin and Stacey.
About 12.3 million people tuned in to watch the finale to a show that started all the way back in 2007 and had last given us an episode in 2019.
Gavin and Stacey The Finale
Credit: BBC
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The BBC says the grand finale brought in the biggest TV audience for 16 years, the last time more Brits were all watching something at Christmas was in 2008 when Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death was on our screens.
With so many people wanting to see Nessa (Ruth Jones) and Smithy (James Corden) get together after she proposed at the end of the previous Christmas special, woe betide the poor soul who stood in their way.
That would be Sonia (Laura Aikman), who was all set to marry Smithy in the final ever Gavin and Stacey despite it being painfully clear that she just wasn’t a good fit for him.
It seems like even Sonia’s actor wanted her character to get out of the way so Smithy and Nessa could get together (BBC)
It turns out that even Sonia’s actor seemed not to be rooting for her, as Aikman posted an apology in her Instagram Stories as she reacted to the final episode, writing: “Many apologies for my behaviour… x”
She also shared posts of people calling her ‘everyone’s favourite Christmas Day villain’, and said that her family got to see Sonia ‘ruining Christmas again’ and enjoyed a meme joking that Sonia and not Feathers McGraw was ‘the nastiest villain on telly this Christmas’.
Fortunately, Laura seems to know very well that her character was set up to be the villain of the piece by being in the way of Smithy and Nessa finally getting together, and it didn’t help that she ended up being quite the Bridezilla.
Throughout the final episode of Gavin and Stacey, it was made very clear that she wasn’t a good fit with Smithy’s nearest and dearest, and breaking up that wonderful bunch was never going to be the happy ending we were all hoping for.
She knows she way playing the bad guy. (Instagram/@lauraikman)
In fairness, there was one moment from the finale where viewers did feel sorry for Sonia as on her hen party, our usual favourites hired her a stripper, a move which went down horribly and left lots who were watching thinking that in this one case she was in the right.
Plus without Sonia, Smithy and Nessa would probably be together already and we wouldn’t have got the marvellous final episode.
It took a lot of subterfuge and secrecy to avoid giving away Sonia’s involvement, which would have made it clear that Smithy had said no to Nessa before the episode even aired, as Aikman had also said she took the NDA ‘very seriously’.
The crew were able to keep the secret by booking Laura into a different hotel to the rest of the crew, with director Christine Gernon saying the actor was ‘not allowed to come to wrap or screening parties’ just to make sure her participation was under wraps.
At this point we’d say we hope the viewers remember that Sonia is a character and avoid pouring scorn on her actor, but you know how some fans can struggle with the easy task of separating the two.Featured Image Credit: Instagram / lauraikman / BBC
Topics: Gavin And Stacey, TV, BBC, Celebrity
Joe Harker
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Updated 09:36 26 Dec 2024 GMTPublished 13:18 15 Dec 2024 GMT
Actor explains baffling Gavin and Stacey joke that’s had fans confused for 15 years
Well, at least that’s one Gavin and Stacey mystery solved before the finale
It’s nearly the big day. The day we’ve been waiting for after months and months of build-up. After little teases of what we can expect and making plans ready for it.
Christmas Day is just less than two weeks away now and that means, it’s nearly the day of the final episode of Gavin and Stacey.
I’ll be honest, that’s a big part of Christmas for me this year.
Gavin and Stacey The Finale
Credit: BBC
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And to prepare for the big special finale, you might also be rewatching the previous episodes and reminding yourself of the classic jokes and the huge mystery.
But there’s one baffling joke that’s had fans confused for the past 15 years and the actor who delivered it has thankfully explained it.
Back in November 2009, the first episode of season three aired on the BBC and saw Gavin trying to get used to working with his new Welsh colleagues while Stacey was just buzzing to be back in Barry.
Mathew Horne’s character is introduced to Owain Hughes who ‘heads up the website’
“Hi, nice to meet you. [I’m] Gavin Shipman,” Gavin says in his new Cardiff office job.
“Owain Hughes,” responds Owain, adding: “And before you ask, no I don’t!”
Owain Hughes, the man of mystery (BBC)
While his colleagues laugh away knowingly at this, Gavin looks absolutely baffled, trying to understand what on earth they’re on about. He even goes on to tell his family and friends about it to try and get an explanation.
But most of us viewers have been just as confused, long wondering what the gag actually is.
And Steven Meo, who played Owain, told the BBC it’s ‘always on the tip of his tongue’ when he meets Gavin and Stacey fans.
“So it’s like, ‘Hi, I’m Steve, there’s no joke’,” he said.
Yep, he explained that it was actually not even a joke at all, it was just in there to annoy us.
Same Gav, same (BBC)
“You can get on these threads and there’s so many people know exactly what the joke is,” Meo said, referencing people’s theories about it being ‘a play on wine’ or that you’ve ‘got to speak Welsh’ to get it.
He even said his mum once rang him from Tesco where the manager had said anyone who could explain it would get ‘a free bottle of wine’.
“I went, ‘I can’t say mam’,” Meo laughed.
And he really can’t because: “It was literally just a red herring designed to wind people up.”
Well, that’s that mystery solved. Now, WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT FISHING TRIP?Featured Image Credit: BBC
Topics: Gavin And Stacey, BBC, TV and Film
Jess Battison
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Published 15:03 26 Dec 2024 GMT
Gavin and Stacey star reveals extreme measures she went through to keep her character’s return to finale secret
Even her family didn’t know until the big day
Warning: Honking massive spoilers for Gavin and Stacey: The Finale to follow.
That was pretty f**king brilliant, wasn’t it?
Five years ago Nessa (Ruth Jones) got down on one knee and proposed to Smithy (James Corden) right at the end of the previous Gavin and Stacey episode, which cut out before we got to know what his answer was.
Gavin and Stacey The Finale
Credit: BBC
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Returning half a decade later for one last episode, viewers were more excited to see what Smithy’s answer had been than they were for their Christmas presents and it was all wrapped up in a stonkingly good final episode.
It turns out that Gavin and Stacey stuck the landing brilliantly, with fans adoring that last-ever episode and reckoning it wrapped everything up in style.
Except of course for whatever the hell happened on the fishing trip, but in this case, whatever each fan can imagine it being is better than getting a definitive answer that takes all the imagination out of it.
It’s finally over, what a ride (BBC)
With the burning issue of what answer Smithy gave to Nessa hanging over the final episode, one Gavin and Stacey star had to go through some rather extreme measures to keep her presence on the set a secret to avoid giving the game away.
We are of course talking about Laura Aikman, who plays Smithy’s fiancée Sonia, since her being in the final episode would make it clear to viewers that Smithy hadn’t married Nessa after all, otherwise she wouldn’t be around.
There’s a big reveal early on in the episode where Smithy goes to meet his bride-to-be and it’s Sonia, leaving millions of Brits watching at Christmas realising that he didn’t accept Nessa’s proposal, though she managed to avoid anyone else knowing she’d proposed with some impromptu Cossack dancing.
Taking to Instagram, Laura Aikman posted a video of her own family reacting to the big Christmas reveal, and either acting ability runs in the family or they genuinely didn’t know she was going to be in Gavin and Stacey again.
“I take an NDA very seriously,” she captioned the video, and on her Stories she shared a post from episode director Christine Gernon, who explained how they kept things so secretive.
Knowing Laura Aikman was in the episode ahead of time would have spoiled one of the main questions, so they kept it a secret (BBC)
“Laura Aikman spent the whole G&S shoot being hidden away,” the director posted.
“Staying in a different hotel, not allowed to come to wrap or screening parties so no one knew Sonia was back.
“Such a great reveal. And she’s amazing as both actor and person.”
That final episode all led up to Smithy and Sonia’s wedding, featuring a brilliant performance by Neil the Baby, though he didn’t tie the knot after everyone he knew (and a couple of people on Sonia’s side) and loved told him it was a massive mistake.
Everyone had been telling Gavin (Mathew Horne) he had to say something and right at the last moment he did, though in the end, it was Mick (Larry Lamb) that Smithy needed to tell him he was making a mistake.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DECIntwIW2D/embed/?cr=1&v=14&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ladbible.com&rp=%2Fentertainment%2Ftv%2Fgavin-and-stacey-christmas-special-sonia-actor-422852-20241226%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1C4__jqpKpRqlyIzFXfSOP3NY2NGaxb1hkuXHcSVKPT1UhuWguveYyM-Y_aem_-YMKWDGQWiy3FlX8rqIOhA#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A659777.9000000358%2C%22ls%22%3A658255.6999999881%2C%22le%22%3A659587.6000000238%7D
Rushing off to stop Nessa from heading out to sea, Smithy managed to get there in time to propose, with the show closing on their wedding and a montage of some of the great moments from Gavin and Stacey.
James Corden revealed that the episode’s final moments were the last thing they shot as he told a Q&A at the premiere: “The first schedule of the show had us finishing, I think it was going to be me on my own in a car on a low loader and Ruth and I were like ‘that can’t be the last day!’
“And I think that’s the only time we’ve gone ‘we’d like to have a say in the schedule here’, and it was all to do with people’s dates.
“This is a massive cast who are all very busy and have different things to do and have juggled a lot of things around to do it, but we really, really felt that the last day should be the last scene and that the last line should be the last thing that we ever shoot.”
Ruth Jones opened up on the emotional final moments of the episode where Smithy and Nessa finally got together.
She said: “It was lovely because it did feel like a real wedding, didn’t it?
“Like a real wedding to sort of pub reception and we were very grateful to being indulged, for being able to do that because it made such a world of difference that we did that last shot.
“And then Chris, when she called cut on the very last take, arranged for the sound department to play ‘Run’ and that got us all going.”Featured Image Credit: BBC
Topics: Gavin And Stacey, TV, BBC
Joe Harker
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Updated 13:52 18 Dec 2024 GMTPublished 13:53 18 Dec 2024 GMT
Gavin and Stacey actor gives definitive answer of if we will find out what happened on the fishing trip
Will we ever find out?
Larry Lamb has revealed whether the Gavin and Stacey finale will include what really happened on that fishing trip.
The actor has reprised his role as Mick Shipman for one last episode of the BBC sitcom, which is due to air on Christmas Day.
The last time Gavin and Stacey were on our screens was five years ago, when a Christmas special aired in 2019. The episode ended with a huge cliffhanger, as Nessa proposed to Smithy and his answer was revealed.
Larry Lamb opened up about the Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special in an interview. (lewisnichollsshow/Tiktok)
While fans are eager to find out whether Smithy and Nessa have got hitched, many are also keen to know if the secret behind Uncle Bryn and Jason’s fishing trip is finally due to be revealed.
Throughout the three series of Gavin and Stacey, a disastrous fishing trip has been referenced on several occasions, with it seemingly having caused a rift between Bryn and Jason, who both avoid ever talking about what happened.
However, fans may be disappointed this Christmas, as Larry admitted that it’s unlikely the trip will ever be explained.
During an interview on The Lewis Nicholls Show, the ex-EastEnders star was quizzed about whether the finale will reveal what happened on the fishing trip.
“Nobody knows. They’re not going to tell everybody. They’re not going to tell you that,” Larry admitted.
“That’s one of those things that keeps people going. That’s like, the long-running cliffhanger, what happened on the fishing trip.”
Gavin and Stacey creators Ruth Jones and James Corden have confirmed that this year’s Christmas special will be the final ever episode of the BBC comedy, 17 years after it first began airing.
Actor Larry has revealed it was ‘really emotional’ filming the finale, knowing that it would be the last time the cast and crew would be together.
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Uncle Bryn and Jason’s fishing trip remains a mystery. (BBC)
He told WalesOnline: “The whole day was really emotional because we all knew, which is very unusual, that they would film the last day of the series on the last day of the shoot, which never happens. The emotion was building up all the time towards the last day.
“It was like waiting for the last day of school, the last day of term. Three, four days before you start thinking ‘Oh blimey it’s soon going to happen’ and then all of a sudden it’s happening. There we were in the morning getting into costume and ready to start this day.”
He also recalled filming his final scenes with Alison Steadman, who plays his on-screen wife Pam, saying they placed their arms around one another ‘just as a couple.’Featured Image Credit: lewisnichollsshow/Tiktok/BBC
Topics: Gavin And Stacey, TV, BBC, TV and Film, UK News, Christmas
Danni King
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Published 10:51 24 Dec 2024 GMT
Gavin and Stacey actor answers whether we will find out what happened on the fishing trip in tonight’s finale
We will actually find out what happened on the infamous Gavin and Stacey fishing trip?
A Gavin and Stacey actor has revealed whether the ultimate question will be answered in tonight’s final episode – what happened on that fishing trip?
It’s been a long five years for fans of the hit sitcom, and families across the UK will finally settle down in front of the telly tonight to tune into what will be the final episode.
The finale of Gavin and Stacey will air at 9pm on BBC One, and it’s set to break records in terms of viewing figures.
While most will be wondering whether Smithy ever accepted Nessa’s proposal, others will be dying to know the answer to a different question…
What did happen on the fishing trip between Bryn and Jason??
Throughout the three series of Gavin and Stacey, a disastrous fishing trip has been referenced on several occasions, with it seemingly having caused a rift between Bryn and Jason, who both avoid ever talking about what happened.
The Gavin and Stacey fishing trip has plagued fans for years. (BBC)
However, fans may be disappointed this Christmas, as Larry Lamb – who plays Mick Shipman – admitted that it’s unlikely the trip will ever be explained.
During an interview on The Lewis Nicholls Show, the star was quizzed about whether the finale will reveal what happened on the fishing trip.
“Nobody knows. They’re not going to tell everybody. They’re not going to tell you that,” Larry admitted.
“That’s one of those things that keeps people going. That’s like, the long-running cliffhanger, what happened on the fishing trip.”
He also opened up about how ’emotional’ filming the finale was, specifically shooting the last scenes on the very last day.
The actor plays Gavin’s dad, Mick Shipman. (Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
He told WalesOnline: “The whole day was really emotional because we all knew, which is very unusual, that they would film the last day of the series on the last day of the shoot, which never happens. The emotion was building up all the time towards the last day.
“It was like waiting for the last day of school, the last day of term.
“Three, four days before you start thinking ‘Oh blimey it’s soon going to happen’ and then all of a sudden it’s happening.
“There we were in the morning getting into costume and ready to start this day.”
Gavin and Stacey creators Ruth Jones and James Corden have confirmed that this year’s Christmas special will be the final ever episode of the BBC comedy, 17 years after it first began airing.