Gavin and Stacey Christmas special 2024: Airdate, runtime, trailer cast update, plot and everything you need to know
With less than a month to go until Christmas day, Gavin & Stacey fans are champing at the bit to see the final ever episode.
Over recent months, many avid fans have spotted filming for the finale taking place in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan. The comedy series' stars, such as Alison Steadman who plays Pam and Larry Lamb who plays Mick, have been teasing fans on what they can expect for the grand finale.
With less than a month to go before the Christmas special is aired, we've compiled a list of everything you need to know about it, which includes potential plot, when it will be on, cast, the teaser and what the cast has said. For the latest TV & Showbiz news, sign up to our newsletter.
READ MORE: Lisa Faulkner breaks silence after Gregg Wallace scandal
READ MORE: Netflix’s 'perfect' true crime series that's based on Welsh cold case
WARNING: The following article contains potential spoilers for the new Christmas special of Gavin & Stacey.
What time is Gavin & Stacey: The Finale airing?
The 90-minute special will be airing on Christmas Day at 9pm on both BBC One and BBC iPlayer. For the latest TV & Showbiz news, sign up to our newsletter.
Is there a trailer yet?
Fans went wild after a teaser trailer for the final episode of the beloved comedy series was dropped on BBC's social media pages on Sunday, December 1. Read more, here.
What is the plot of the final episode?
Last time we saw the characters of Gavin & Stacey was in 2019. During the episode, we got to see both the Shipman and West families celebrating Christmas over in Barry, which meant Uncle Bryn had to cook for over 13 people. Gavin and Stacey were now parents to three children named Harri, Caitlin and Megan. At the end of the episode, Nessa confessed to Smithy that she was in love with him and got down on one knee to propose. But the episode came to an end just before Smithy could answer.
This year's special will pick up with the beloved characters from Barry and Billericay five years on from where we were left following that cliffhanger. Unlike the last Gavin & Stacey Christmas special, this year's episode will not be set at Christmas, as teased by Larry Lamb.
The official synopsis reads: "It's five years since we left Nessa down on one knee declaring her love for Smithy and asking him to marry her. And a lot has happened in those five years." However, as well as finding out Smithy's long-awaited answer, fans will be excited to hear that they might finally learn what happened on Uncle Bryn (Rob Brydon) and Jason West's (Robert Wilfort) mysterious fishing trip. The fishing trip was first brought up in series one back in 2007 and has been a running joke in the sitcom ever since.
The last time the fishing trip was mentioned on the show, Bryn said: "It was very dark, in every sense of the word." However, the synopsis for the last episode teases that fans may finally hear more: "Join us on the journey to Barry and Billericay as we catch up with the Shipmans and the Wests for the very last time and maybe find out what exactly did happen on that fishing trip."
Who will be returning to the final episode?
The show would not be the same without the fab four. Ruth Jones, who plays Nessa, Joanna Page who plays Stacey, Mathew Horne who plays Gavin and James Corden who plays Smithy have all been spotted during recent filming.
Other cast members spotted include Larry Lamb, who plays Mick, his on-screen wife Pam, played by Alison Steadman, Melanie Walters, who plays Gwen, and Rob Brydon, who plays the iconic Uncle Bryn. But other beloved cast members have been spotted too, including Julia Davis who plays Dawn, her on-screen husband Pete, who is played by Adrian Scarborough, Steffan Rhodri who plays Dave Coaches, Robert Wilfort as Stacey's brother Jason, and Oscar Hartland who plays Neil The Baby.
It has also been confirmed that the one and only Sheridan Smith has reprised her role as Smithy's sister - Rudi. Sheridan didn't return for the 2019 Christmas special, and opened up about not taking part in it to Radio 2, saying: "I’m not going to be in it. I don't think, anyway. Like everyone, I can't wait to watch the Christmas special. I’m so proud to have been a part of something so special." But many fans will be delighted to see the cheeky younger sibling return to our screens.
And there's potentially a new cast member - Anna Maxwell Martin. It has been reported that the Motherland and Line of Duty star may be joining James Corden et al for the special episode. In September, pictures of Anna, who starred with co-creator James in the Old Vic production of The Constituent over the summer, with Mathew Horne can be seen on X, formerly known as Twitter, via @camjmes0's account.
What the cast has said?
Many of the cast members have opened up about what they think about the final episode, as well as offer some teasers on what fans can expect. Speaking to The One Show's Alex Jones on Barry Island Discs, Larry Lamb, who plays Mick Shipman in the series, gave a one-word verdict that outlined his first impressions of Gavin & Stacey's script.
With the entire series having so many iconic moments, The One Show presenter wondered if any of them had been improvised. However, Larry Lamb confirmed that this wasn't the case: "Nothing in that whole series is made in the moment. The whole thing is presented to you in a script, and that's what you're going to do. It's there - every single element of it. None of it is improvised at all."
This surprised Alex who said that a lot of magic in the series came from it seeming "adlibbed". Larry replied: "Absolutely. That's the brilliance of it. It's a fascinating thing to be a part of. None of it is made up as you go along. Right from day one when we all sat around a table in Soho with the script in front of us and read it, you knew this was a masterpiece."
According to Joanna Page, she "cried every day" of filming the final episode. Speaking to Woman and Home magazine, Joanna said she felt "exhausted" from the emotional toll of saying goodbye, likening it to a period of grief: "Saying goodbye to 'Gavin and Stacey' felt like grief. When I came home from filming, I was absolutely bloody exhausted! You're saying goodbye to each location and person. I was crying from the second day."
Appearing on an episode of Woman's Hour, which was aired on BBC Radio Four on Wednesday, October 9, Alison Steadman also echoed Joanna's sentiment and said that there were "many tears" as they concluded filming for the comedy show. She said: "There were many tears - I have to say, when we finished, because we are all so close and the filming has all been really wonderful. It really has. Each character we played - me and Larry Lamb playing Mick and Pam, it’s been a real experience over 17 years from when we did the first series. It can't get better than that. It has to go down as one of my favourite, fun jobs."
And the cast themselves have also warned that it will be an emotional one for viewers too. Larry Lamb said on Good Morning Britain in October said that filming the final scene was "so emotional" but noted that its conclusion was "really beautiful". He said: "You become a family... it was a whole trip down memory lane because suddenly there we are and we are facing the fact that effectively this is the end of this adventure, the end of this journey and it was so emotional."
He then added: "Chronologically we were filming on the last day, on the last day of filming, we were filming the end of the story which is so unusual... the end comes bursting out at you and it is just beautiful, really beautiful."
Will we be getting anything more than the final episode?
Yes, fans who aren't ready to say goodbye just yet will be delighted to know there will be two spin-offs available. The BBC have officially confirmed that there will be an "uplifting and touching" documentary telling the story of Gavin & Stacey as the series comes to an end after 17 years. Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell will follow the journey of the sitcom which began on BBC Three, before capturing the hearts of the nation and officially putting Barry Island on the map.
The documentary is set to grant "unprecedented access" to James Corden and Ruth Jones as well as the wider cast as they filmed the final episode and said goodbye to the show. It is also set to feature celebrity fans who talk about Gavin & Stacey and its influence on British society.
As well as the Gavin & Stacey specials, The One Show presenter Alex Jones will be looking back on the show's iconic soundtrack with behind-the-scenes stories from the cast, including James Corden, Joanna Page and Larry Lamb.
She said: "Like the rest of the nation, Gavin & Stacey got me hooked from the first ever episode. That’s why I’m thrilled to be hosting Barry Island Discs: Gavin & Stacey's Big Songs Send Off.
“Join me and some of your favourite cast members as we laugh, dance and cry to the show’s great soundtrack, all while they share some exclusive behind-the-scenes stories. You don't want to miss this!" You can listen to Barry Island Discs: Gavin & Stacey's Big Songs Send Off on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Sounds from 12pm on Monday, December 23.
Gavin & Stacey: The Finale will air on Christmas Day at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
