Gavin and Stacey star initially 'ignored' plans for Christmas special after confusion

Samantha Masters
·2-min read
For use in UK, Ireland or Benelux countries only Undated BBC handout photo of the cast from Gavin and Stacey: The Finale, Bryn (ROB BRYDON), Gwen (MELANIE WALTERS), Jason (ROBERT WILFORT), Smithy (JAMES CORDEN), Gavin (MATHEW HORNE), Stacey (JOANNA PAGE), Nessa (RUTH JONES), Mick (LARRY LAMB), Pam (ALISON STEADMAN), Peter (ADRIAN SCARBOROUGH), Dawn (JULIA DAVIS). Issue date: Tuesday December 10, 2024.
-Credit:Copyright remains with handout provider


Alison Steadman initially didn't respond to James Corden when he approached her about the new Gavin and Stacey Christmas special, sparking fears she may not be interested.

After hatching a plan to follow on from 2019's cliff-hanging Christmas episode, writers Ruth Jones and James approached the cast members individually, but Alison didn't think it was legit at first.

Quizzed on who had the best response, James said: "It’s always [Joanna] Page (who plays Stacey Shipman). I called her this time and she just said [with a Welsh accent] ‘Oh my God. Are you serious? Are you serious, James? Are you serious?’.

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Recalling his interaction with Alison, the 46-year-old said she didn't respond to his call at first as she believed "it was someone messing around".

"I also rang Alison, but I couldn’t get hold of her," he told Heat Magazine.

"She thought it was someone messing around because I sent her a WhatsApp saying, ‘Hey, Alison, this is James Corden. I was in the series Fat Friends with you many years ago. Is there a time when we can talk?’.

Gavin And Stacey: The Finale: Actress Alison Steadman will return as Gavin's mum Pam.
Alison Steadman is back as Pam Shipman for the eagerly anticipated Gavin and Stacey: The Finale -Credit:BBC

"And it went grey on WhatsApp, and then it went blue, and I remember texting Ruth going, ‘She’s just not replying.’ Eventually she did."

Thankfully for James, Alison agreed to reprise her role as Pam, following previous doubts about a reunion ever happening.

"They [Ruth and James] are extremely busy people," she told Express.co.uk in 2020.

"Finding the time to get together and put another show together is very difficult.

“These things take months and months. You develop it, you change it, and then you have another idea and so on.

“It’s quite a long process. And then you’ve got to get the actors free. It’s not an easy thing to do."

Fans were left on a cliff-hanger in the last Christmas special when Nessa [Ruth] declared her true feelings to Smithy [James] and popped the question, but the answer wasn't revealed.

Tonight, fans will finally get to learn the outcome after the lengthy five-year wait.

Gavin and Stacey: The Finale airs tonight at 9pm on BBC One.

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