Ruth Jones and Joanna Page pay emotional tribute to beloved Gavin & Stacey star
Ruth Jones and Joanna Page have paid tribute to their Gavin & Stacey co-star Margaret John ahead of the last ever episode of the BBC sitcom. Margaret John, who played Gwen and Stacey's next-door neighbour Doris in the series, died in 2011 at the age of 84.
Despite not being one of the main Gavin & Stacey characters, Doris is widely loved by fans for her cheeky behaviour. Whether she is flirting with Gavin, or making an inappropriate comment, it is rare that her scenes don't generate a laugh.
It is hard to forget her singing There Is a Light That Never Goes Out at a summer barbecue, of all places. Ruth Jones and Joanna Page spoke with TV presenter Alex Jones on BBC's Barry Island Discs about their memories of working with Margaret John.
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Ruth said: "I do remember when we were casting Gavin & Stacey and we had this character of Doris, the next-door neighbour who was a little bit rude. Chris Gernon, our director, said 'I know exactly the actress to play that part - it's Maggie John.'"
Joanna added that working with her was "one of the highlights of Gavin & Stacey". She filmed her first ever scene with Margaret, where Stacey gets off the bus to meet Doris, who gives her some "saucy advice" ahead of her trip up to London to meet Gavin.
Joanna recalled: "From that moment I just thought 'Oh my god. This woman is just so hilarious and lovely, and brilliant'. I just loved how her character got bigger and worse and saucier as the series went on."
The final episode of Gavin & Stacey is set to air on Christmas day, and many of the cast have admitted that filming the episode and saying goodbye to Barry for the last time has been emotional. Speaking to Woman and Home magazine, Joanna said she was "exhausted" from the emotional toll of saying goodbye, "Saying goodbye to 'Gavin and Stacey' felt like a 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." For the latest TV & Showbiz news, sign up to our newsletter
Gavin & Stacey: The Finale is set to air on Christmas Day at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. You can find out everything we know about the episode, here.
