The tearjerking Gavin and Stacey finale had numerous references from previous episodes – including one which you may never have noticed.
Forget Wallace & Gromit or the King’s Speech as Gavin and Stacey: The Finale was the biggest star of Christmas Day TV, with over 12 million viewers tuning in at 9.00pm to catch the 94-minute special episode.
Gavin & Stacey: The Finale trailer
BBC
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An episode which has received rave reviews from critics, the final Gavin and Stacey outing saw the series’ will they/won’t they couple Smithy and Nessa finally commit to each other after 17 years of avoiding their feelings.
Not only did the finale leave all of the characters where they needed to be but we were also treated to various callbacks and references from previous episodes, such as Owain Hughes, KFC corn-on-the-cob, the legendary fishing trip and Nessa substituting a toothbrush for Tic Tacs.
However superfans, eagle-eyed viewers or anyone who recently finished a rewatch ahead of the finale (myself included) may have noticed a tiny reoccurring detail which features in several shots of Barry Island.
Can you guess what it is?
Notice anything familiar from this scene? (BBC)
We are of course talking about the Border Collie dog which can be seen running across the promenade of the Welsh seaside town.
Now a split-second clip of a dog running across the screen is completely irrelevant to the wider plot of the series, however we can’t ignore the fact that our four-legged friend pops up in numerous episodes – which means it certainly isn’t a coincidence.
If, like me, you spent your most recent rewatch of the series pausing the episode every time the pooch ran on-screen to make a point to friends and family then don’t worry, as you’re not the only person to have spotted the detail.
One viewer pointed out recurring moment in a recent Reddit thread and asked other fans if they had any idea why this was the case.
https://embed.reddit.com/r/gavinandstacey/comments/1bm8lr9/has_anyone_noticed_this_recurring_running_dog_at/?embed=true&ref_source=embed&ref=share&utm_medium=widgets&utm_source=embedv2&utm_term=23&utm_name=post_embed&embed_host_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ladbible.com%2Fentertainment%2Ftv%2Fgavin-and-stacey-border-collie-dog-barry-island-321424-20241227
Several users pointed out that the dog is most likely Peroni, the Border Collie belonging to the real-life owners of Marco’s Cafe.
“It’s the dog that the owners of Marco’s own in real life. I’ve not been to Barry in about ten years but it was still there then,” one user commented, while another revealed the pooch even had his own Facebook page at one time.
“Peroni the dog died back in 2015. He was indeed Marcos dog and had free range of the shop and promenade. He was lush, even had his own Facebook page, Peroni Pup,” a second user added, which would suggest the dog’s appearance in the 2024 and 2019 specials was either reused footage or another pet belonging to the owners.Featured Image Credit: BBC
Topics: Gavin And Stacey, BBC
Brenna Cooper
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Updated 12:35 27 Dec 2024 GMTPublished 11:11 27 Dec 2024 GMT
Gavin and Stacey viewers have one common complaint about major finale scene
Did you notice this strange omission?
Gavin and Stacey fans all seem to have the same complaint after noticing a major character was missing from key moments in the finale.
This Christmas Day saw one of Britain’s most beloved comedies air its finale episode, truly the end of an era. And we’re still not over it.
Gavin and Stacey The Finale
Credit: BBC
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Pulling in a massive 12.3 million viewers, Gavin and Stacey: The Finale finally (finally) saw the resolution of the show’s real love story.
We’re, of course, talking about the moment Smithy and Nessa were finally able to fully admit their feelings to each other after 17 years of will they/won’t they moments.
The big emotional pay off came after Ruth Jones and James Corden spent over an hour putting fans through the through the wringer one last time, as Smithy nearly married mis-matched fiancee Sonia, while Nessa travelled to Southampton in order to ‘work on the ships’ once again.
But it was all worth it to see the pair finally get married in-front of their family friends before taking a group photo together.
However, viewers were left a little confused after noticing that major character was missing in the finale scene.
Missing someone? (BBC)
Where the hell was Neil the baby?
Played by Oscar Hartland, Neil the baby was a huge part in Smithy and Nessa’s story, with the teenager amongst the congregation to stand up in agreement that his dad shouldn’t marry Sonia. However, Neil was surprisingly absent from the chaotic drive to find Nessa in Southampton and the final photo, a move which appeared strange given the fact that events involved both of his parents.
Viewers watching along at home were also baffled by the decision and headed to social media to share their complaints.
“Why was Neil ‘the baby’ left at his dad’s failed wedding with nobody he knows whilst all the others went to off to Southampton,” one user commented.
“Really feel for Neil the Baby. Smashes his ‘Blackbird’ performance but isn’t invited on the bus to see his mum and dad finally get together, a second person penned. “Socialising at a wedding is hard enough for a 16 year old.”
Neil the not so baby also wowed viewers with a performance of ‘Blackbird’ by The Beatles (BBC)
“Only issue I have with the whole episode is that Neil the Baby was left behind! It’s his mum & dad,” a third viewer commented, while a fourth added: “poor Neil the Baby not involved in the final pic, and how he didn’t make the trip on Dave’s coaches hahahah.”
Eagle-eyed viewers did notice that Neil the baby was present to watch his mum and dad exchange vows, with the final photo likely a final nod to the characters we’ve all grown to love over the years.Featured Image Credit: BBC
Topics: BBC, Gavin And Stacey, TV, Social Media
Brenna Cooper
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Updated 08:43 27 Dec 2024 GMTPublished 08:29 27 Dec 2024 GMT
Gavin and Stacey called out for making simple ‘mistake’ in huge scene from finale
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.
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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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.