Every Gavin & Stacey character ranked ahead of the final episode this Christmas
If you’re anything like me then all the anticipation, excitement and general hoo-ha about the long-awaited return and indeed permanent exit (they say) of Gavin & Stacey will have had you rewatching previous episodes of a sitcom that started off with almost a whisper on BBC Three and will end with a bang on BBC One on Christmas night.
Yes, after 21 episodes made up of three series and two previous Christmas specials, the show will make its final bow with a 22nd episode this week. At 90 minutes long the episode is by far the longest we will have ever spent with the Shipmans and the Wests et al in one sitting, although to be fair it’ll be like watching three normal episodes in a row, something I do regularly. For the latest TV & Showbiz news, sign up to our newsletter.
Plenty of teaser pictures have been released from the set of the new special, giving a glimpse of what we can expect, but for a few more days at least if we want a fix of some of our Barry and Billericay favourites then we need to look back. With that in mind, I’ve ranked all the main characters from the show in order. Just to be clear, this is merely an opinion and not a definitive list, and all differing and polite opinions are welcomed. Everyone will have their favourites, and for very different reasons.
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Another thing to clarify: not every single character to have featured or been mentioned is listed, so you won’t find the late John Prescott, Noel (from Hear’Say) Sullivan, Matt Lucas (“Big Tens!”), Gillian Elisa (“Oh Ness, you look fabulous”), Wayne Cater (“A personal phone call once in a while, to a family member or a relative...”) or Marc Wootton (“and there’s your bathroom”). They have to be characters that appear at least twice throughout the series, OR who play an integral role in the plot of an episode (Hi, Sonia).
The list might prove somewhat controversial in places, particularly the placing of two very main characters, but feel free to disagree at will. Anyway, in reverse order, here we go.......
25 - Sonia This is nothing to do with the performance of actress Laura Aikman, but more the fact that she ruins a fun-packed Christmas Day for Smithy and his family and friends before leaving quite rudely. We don’t know yet if she will be a part of the new episode but we’re hoping she’s moved on.
24 - Owain Hughes Responsible for one of the best and most memorable gags in the show (“and before you ask, no I don’t”) but nothing else about the character is memorable.
23 - Jason Integral to the show, Stacey’s brother, one half of a fishing trip mishap/incident that remains a secret after almost two decades, but he doesn’t provide many laughs. He’s just nice.
Joint 22 - Budgie, Fingers and Dirtbox It may seem harsh to lump three of Gavin and Smithy’s mates as one entry, but they basically all serve the same purpose - they are three lads who belong to Gavin and Smithy’s close circle before they settled down/became fathers.
21 - Chinese Alan Now, Chinese Alan probably has less to do than the three characters listed above, but he gets higher up on the list because of the time he walks into the lounge at Pam and Mick’s and asks, loudly, “someone order a Chinese?!”, before being mobbed by his mates. I don’t know exactly why but it never fails to make me smile.
20 - Neil the baby He doesn’t say much in the first Christmas special or in series 3 (on account of him being a newborn baby), but he is integral to the show and plays a key part in the 2019 Christmas special when the performance of actor Oscar Hartland made it totally believable that he is the son of Smithy and Nessa.
19 - Cath Smith (Smithy’s mum) She only appears a couple of times but her overall grumpiness brought about by a chronic lack of sleep (or is it two bottles of wine a night?) make her hilariously unlike Smithy.
18 - Deano The most seen of Gavin and Smithy’s old mates is Deano, who almost sleepwalks his way through the show with a laid back approach that makes Smithy seem like an intelligent and energetic force.
17 - Marco Marco pops up a few times throughout the series - as a bingo caller, cafe shop owner and impromptu master of the wedding party at the end of series 1. “Please welcome, the mother of the groom, Pat.” “It’s Pam actually.” “Alright, chill out love.”
16 - Rudi It says something about the strength of talent on show in Gavin & Stacey that an actress of the calibre of Sheridan Smith appears in what is effectively a bit-part role. Her playful, strained yet ultimately loving relationship with Smithy is a key part of series 2.
15 - Gavin Controversial maybe, seeing as the show would not exist (or have a name) without him, but Gavin is just too nice to be included any higher. He’s a dependable and trustworthy best friend and husband, but he doesn’t make you howl with laughter.
14 - Neil Jenkins (Nessa’s father) The extra who appears in all the TV dramas, Neil Jenkins is totally believable as the father of Vanessa Shanessa Jenkins. He clearly has a dark side and drives around from place to place with a cart attached to his vehicle, but he loves his Ness.
13 - Dick Powell Every neighbourhood wants a character like Dick, who wanders around the streets and the back alleys selling meat from a tray at ridiculously cheap prices. Who wouldn’t want three steaks for 87p? The fact that he exclusively speaks in Welsh is an added bonus.
12 - Father Chris A vicar with a temper who enjoys a cigarette before a wedding service, Father Chris goes down in Gavin & Stacey folklore for his anger at Gavin being totally unable to confirm what he likes between his bread when making a sandwich.
11 - Stacey Potential controversy number two comes with everyone’s favourite Barry fiancé being placed outside the top 10. Although funnier and more entertaining than Gavin, the quality of the rest of the big hitters puts her out of the running for the big prize. Sorry, Stace.
Now for the top 10......
10 - Pete
“Lights will g-u-u-u-u-u-i-i-i-i-d-e you home.....”
In many ways the perfect neighbour - likes a curry, a round of golf, and has a deep love of turkeys and oven gloves. His heart is always in the right place, but the less said about his ring choice the better.
9 - Gwen
“I’ve got nothing in, I got a few eggs, a bit of ham, and that’s it...oh, I could do you an omelette.”
Stacey’s mum and Uncle Bryn’s sister-in law, Gwen is the glue that holds the West side of the family together. She’s also funny in her totally natural manner as she goes about trying to keep everyone happy (and full).
8 - Dawn
“Oh my Pete!”
One of the best side characters in any sitcom ever, Dawn, played brilliantly by Julia Davis, is the ultimate neighbour and best friend for any woman. Full of gossip, anecdotes, acerbic barbs towards her poor husband Pete, and normally carrying a bottle of white wine. Every second she is on screen is a joy.
7 - Mick
"I mean it's the last thing you expect to find when you come into work in the morning"
In many ways Mick is the perfect father and the perfect husband. Funny, caring, patient, sensible, but with a glint that suggests he used to be a “bit of a dirty dog in his day”. He is a huge example of the show’s heart, which is what makes it more than just a funny sitcom.
6 - Doris
“Well it’s talc it is.”
Doris, played by the late great Margaret John, could easily be in the top 5, maybe even the top 1. Always funny, she reminds so many people of their grandmothers or one of those loveable elderly women that live up and down terraced house streets all over Wales. Her highlight was surely the day out on Barry Beach.
Now, before we get to the top 5, I want to be clear that any one of these could have been at the number 1 spot. It’s too hard, frankly, to pick a top 5 in order, but here we go.....
5 - Pam
“Oh my Christ!”
Alison Steadman plays Pam so well that you forget the character is essentially a nagging and overbearing wife and mother, one who basically calls all the shots in the lives of everyone around her. In doing so, she is hilarious, loving and capable of turning any situation into a drama. We all know people like Pam, and she could easily have had her own show alongside Mick.
4 - Dave Coaches
“You knows I love the bumper carrrs!”
Incredibly, Dave Coaches was only meant to be in the very first episode of Gavin & Stacey, but Steffan Rhodri’s performance was so good that he was written in again and again, playing a key role in series 2 and 3 and the 2008 Christmas special. Unintentionally funny, his thick Barry accent and glum demeanour make him one of the show’s most memorable characters, culminating in an emotional scene at the end of series 3 where he walks out of his own wedding because he knows, deep down, that his is love for Nessa is unrequited.
3 - Uncle Bryn
“Rydw i yn hoffi coffi!”
From the moment we first see Bryn rushing across the road to accost what he thinks is a Jehovah’s Witness, we know we're dealing with a very special character. Pedantic, paranoid, stuck-in-his-ways, and someone who has seemingly dressed like he was 65 since at least his 40s, Bryn is another person you’d love to have living on your street. The root of his character is the love and affection he has for Stacey and Gwen following his brother’s death, showcased excellently by Rob Brydon with probably the best acting performance in the whole series when he reads ‘that’ letter to Stacey on the way to her wedding.
2 - Smithy
“Chicken bhuna, lamb bhuna, prawn bhuna, mushroom rice, bag of chips, keema naan and nine poppadoms” (don’t forget the saag aloo)
It’s clear from the very first series what Smithy is - he’s the joker, the funny one, the ‘what is he like?’ character to offset Gavin’s sensible nature. James Corden plays it with aplomb, never being afraid to make a fool of himself by stripping off, wearing a thong, or behaving like a big baby when he doesn’t get his way. He is another character full of heart who matures throughout the show and morphs from a funny and irresponsible beer lout to a funny and responsible father. Smithy is key to everything in this show.
1 - Nessa
“I’ll take all this alrigh’, but I don’t need another whip”
It had to be didn’t it? Of all the characters created by Ruth Jones and James Corden, this one is the most iconic and memorable of them all. Nobody knows her age, or much of her past (apart from the anecdotes she casually drops into conversation), but she’s always there, on Gwen’s sofa, travelling up to Essex, reading people’s futures in a caravan.....
She’s definitely not someone to be messed with, but you get the sense that a day out with Nessa would be one of the funniest days you’ll ever spend. She takes everything in her stride, hardly ever reacts to anything, and practically owns every scene she appears in.
From the vast array of memorable characters given to us by this show, it’s Nessa who most often appears on mugs and T-shirts, and it’s her that will be spoken of most in years and generations to come, long after Gavin & Stacey has finished. She is one of the best characters in recent TV sitcom history.
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Gavin & Stacey: The Finale will air on Christmas Day at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
