The Gavin and Stacey finale broke viewing records
Fans of Gavin and Stacey are still recovering after that emotional rollercoaster of a finale on Wednesday (25 December), though there may have been something missing.
That’s right, some fans think that Corden and co. made a massive mistake when it came to the near-flawless final episode.
It’s been 17 years in the making, with the same cast and plot we’ve all been following, though they still managed to catch us off guard with one of the most emotional TV finales ever.
Spoilers ahead, if you hadn’t guessed already.
Gavin & Stacey: The Finale trailer
BBC
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Gavin and Stacey behind the scenes details emerge
From finally (almost) addressing the fishing trip to finding out that Sonia was still around, the episode was full of twists and turns that left several viewers in tears.
A lot of details have emerged about the Gavin and Stacey finale, as extras went off script, Gavin (Mathew Horne) refused to wear a West Ham kit, and Neil the Baby made a cameo at the wedding.
Some funny, some heartfelt, a number of moments made the episode – and the show as a whole – such a joy to watch, but fans found a reason to be slightly upset when they realised one detail about the final scenes.
It’s finally over, what a ride (BBC)
After Smithy finally declares his love for Nessa (Ruth Jones) five years after her proposal, leaving Sonia at the altar, he legs it to the Southampton docks to stop her from spending six months in Curacao.
Luckily, things worked out after he got down on one knee and popped the question, though residents of Southampton were not impressed.
A number of fans of the show noticed it wasn’t at Southampton docks (BBC)
They had clocked on to the fact that the scenes at the docks were not filmed in the coastal city, revealing it looked nothing like the real docks in Southampton.
Gasp.
It turns out these scenes were filmed around 100 miles away in Newport Docks, Wales.
Obviously, this didn’t stop 12.3 million people from watching the programme, though many Southampton residents took to social media to point out the detail.
One wrote: “Gavin and Stacey really tryna gaslight me into thinking that’s southampton docks. i know my city smh”
It was glaringly obvious to some that it was Newport Docks, not Southampton (BBC)
Another wrote: “Superb acting job by Newport Docks, playing Southampton docks on the #GavinAndStacey Christmas special.”
Although a third shared: “I knew it wasn’t the real Southampton docks, but I don’t care!”
A record breaking farewell to Barry Island
The 12.3 million viewers that tuned in broke the record for the most watched TV episode across all channels in over 10 years, surpassing the number of 11.6 million viewers set by none other than – you guessed it – Gavin and Stacey with its 2019 Christmas special.
What an ending, though. Gavin and Stacey, you’ll be missed.Featured Image Credit: BBC
Topics: Gavin And Stacey, TV, Entertainment, BBC
Joshua Nair
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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-finale-docks-scene-southampton-newport-506890-20241227%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR007K8Cuy5ArizW4qGYkJN7mMhFmFfrXDQhSseyN7hYLNviQBBfMh9yljk_aem_KWT6l2jD8ayasn-F2Jnqi#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A247337.5%2C%22ls%22%3A246154.20000004768%2C%22le%22%3A247314.10000002384%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 11:17 26 Dec 2024 GMTPublished 11:09 26 Dec 2024 GMT
Reason why Gavin and Stacey character was removed from original finale script
They only appeared in two episodes over the 17 years
Wrapping up 17 years of one of the most beloved British shows, the Christmas day viewing of Gavin and Stacey: The Finale was an absolute treat.
We had Neil the Baby getting us all emotional with ‘Blackbird’, the continued mystery of the fishing trip and Nessa and Smithy finally ending up together.
Making up probably one of the best ever last episodes of a TV show, they brought back a load of characters from across the years – be honest the Dave Coaches reveal took us all by surprise.
Gavin and Stacey The Finale
Credit: BBC
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And sure, we weren’t exactly hoping for Sonia to be there but there were even the likes of Smithy’s mum (Pam Ferris) and Sheridan Smith as Rudi (Smithy to her friends, of course).
However, there was one returning character who ended up being removed from the original finale script.
Now, it may not be a character that comes immediately to mind but those truly Gavin and Stacey-obsessed will instantly know who Dick Powell is.
The Welsh bloke may have only appeared in two episodes of the BBC show altogether but he was mentioned plenty of time by the West lot.
They’d tried to include him (BBC)
Dick Powell (Gwynfor Roberts) was a bit like the local Del Boy, as they all seemed to get some kind of dodgy knock-off items from him.
He of course appeared in series three, episode five, to sell some stolen meat for the big BBQ at Gwen’s house. And according to Uncle Bryn, he’s the only person in all of Barry who only speaks Welsh.
Gavin and Stacey creators Ruth Jones and James Corden had tried to include him too but sadly it just couldn’t work it out.
According to Metro, Jones said during a Q&A: “I think in the original script we had Dick Powell. There just wasn’t room for him, God bless him.”
What a finale (BBC)
The script for the finale didn’t quite go exactly as planned though, with extras surprising the cast in a hilarious moment.
During the wedding scene when they all start to stand up on Smithy’s side to stop him from marrying Sonia, two random women on her side also stand.
“When Anna said, ‘Please stand’, there’s two ladies at the back on Stacey’s side who stood up! We didn’t tell them to,” Corden revealed.
“They were just real fans of the show who were so in it [the plot], that they just stood up and were like, ‘I just thought he shouldn’t be marrying her!’”
You can watch Gavin and Stacey: The Finale on BBC iPlayer.Featured Image Credit: BBC
Topics: Gavin And Stacey, TV and Film
Jess Battison
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Published 20:34 26 Dec 2024 GMT
Larry Lamb breaks silence after Gavin and Stacey finale moment left fans ‘sobbing’
Mick was the true hero of the finale
Larry Lamb has sent a message to Gavin and Stacey fans after the final ever episode, which contains what might be his character Mick’s finest ever moment.
That’s saying something, since Mick has been brilliant all through the 17 years since Gavin and Stacey first started, but the show really stuck the landing and saved some of the best moments for last.
Mick stands up for Smithy
Credit: BBC
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First off, Mick delivered a beautiful speech about how he and Pam (Alison Steadman) had tried to have another child after Gavin (Matthew Horne) was born but weren’t able to, and how the hurt went away after Smithy (James Corden) came into their lives.
Mick then told Smithy he was part of the family, and may as well have said that he was a second son.
No wonder, then, that when everyone who knew Smithy stood up at his wedding to say they didn’t want him to get married to Sonia, it was Mick finally rising to his feet that sealed the decision.
Mick had made it clear he didn’t think stopping the wedding was the right idea, but when Smithy turned to him for guidance he stood up with the rest and let the lad he loved like a son know how he felt.
Mick stood up and the nation rejoiced… (BBC)
The moment when Mick stood up at the wedding has been widely celebrated in the aftermath of the finale, with some fans describing it as ‘cinema’ and others echoing one of Pam’s iconic lines by saying ‘I’ve gone, I’ve actually gone’.
They called it ‘epic, heartfelt and touching’ while others said that Larry Lamb’s performance during the episode had them ‘in floods’.
Crying at Christmas is not normally a good sign, but it’s alright if the nation is watching a performance that’s giving the heartstrings a mighty tug.
The man himself sent a message addressing all of the praise that had been coming his way after the finale, as Lamb posted on social media to say: “Thanks so much for all your lovely words ..so proud to be part of such a wonderful show !!”
When responding to fans, he also said that ‘playing Mick has made me more like him’, and that sounds like a very good thing.
Thanks so much for all your lovely words ..so proud to be part of such a wonderful show !!
The actor was also eager to spread the praise around, as he said that the toast he gave to Smithy at his stag do was ‘a gift of a speech from two extraordinary writers’.
So much effort went into Gavin and Stacey: The Finale, including keeping the actor who played Sonia (Laura Aikman) in separate hotels to help keep the secret of what Smithy said to Nessa’s proposal.
Pretty much everything in the show except for the fishing trip was wrapped up and given an ending.
Even Nessa’s old flame Dave Coaches (Steffan Rhodri) was given a redemption as it turned out he was Gwen’s (Melanie Walters) new boyfriend and dealt with a prolonged freakout from Bryn (Rob Brydon), lending his coach to get the Shipman and West families to Nessa in time to stop her from sailing away.
It’s peak television, is what it is.Featured Image Credit: BBC
Topics: Gavin And Stacey, TV and Film, BBC, Celebrity
Joe Harker
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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.