Why one beloved Gavin & Stacey character was only meant to be in one episode
One of the most popular characters in Gavin & Stacey was only meant to be in the first ever episode of the sitcom and then never seen or heard from again, it has been revealed. With just two weeks to go until the show’s eagerly anticipated Christmas special, fans are delighted to have learnt that Dave Coaches is set to return after he missed out on the 2019 special.
The character, played with a perfect blend of wit and grumpiness by Steffan Rhodri, became a firm favourite during the show’s three series run, especially in the final series when he and Nessa, played by Ruth Jones, were engaged to be married. While the wedding didn't go quite as he had hoped, Dave still played a key role in the show’s success and one of the only criticisms of the 2019 comeback was that he was not somehow written into the script. That makes his return for the final ever episode which will air on Christmas Day all the sweeter for fans.
However, Dave may not have featured in Gavin & Stacey at all after the first episode. During that first glimpse into the characters’ lives, Dave drives Nessa and Stacey all the way from Barry to London to meet up with Smithy and Gavin for the very first time. We see Dave at the beginning of the journey when he outlines his rules on smoking and drug taking on his bus, and we then see him at the start of the trip home when he offers Nessa the chance to enjoy a Chinese takeaway with him that evening. For the latest TV & Showbiz news, sign up to our newsletter.
READ MORE: Strictly's Pete Wicks makes emotional confession amid Maura Higgins romance rumours
That could have been the last time we ever saw Dave, as Ruth Jones revealed this week. “Dave Coaches was only ever meant to be in one episode for the trip to London,” she said. “But Steffan is such a great actor and he brought the character so brilliantly to life, we ended up writing him in pretty much all the episodes!”
For Steffan Rhodri, he said he knew straight away that Ruth Jones and James Corden had created something special, and revealed that he actually had to convince his agent that it would be wise to take the part of Dave. “After the first episode aired a comedian I knew in Cardiff came up to me in the street and said how much he’d loved it,” he said. “He quoted back to me Dave’s line about ‘fags and weed…etc’ and I remember thinking that if people are already quoting catchphrases after one episode then this seems to be striking something special.
“Because Dave only appeared in a couple of scenes in one episode of series 1, I had to convince my agent that it was worth doing what she considered to be a small part. I sensed it was a hit and had no doubt about doing it. I teased my agent for many years about it afterwards. From the beginning I thought the sharp, witty tone would be successful especially as it was coupled with genuine affection for the characters rather than mocking them.
“It’s obviously a timeless show and that’s impossible to predict when you start making something. But the appeal of it seems to last because of identification I think. We all know, or think we know, similar characters in our lives. That’s a testament to the writing and the performances which capture something very truthful, and wonderfully comic, about the human experience.”
As for what his favourite ever ‘Dave scene’ is, two immediately spring to mind for Steffan. “I think the wedding from the final episode of series 3 is my favourite. John Prescott, Noel from Hearsay, Smithy arriving like Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate….that and the fight with Pete in the first Christmas special!”
Try our fun quiz to see which Gavin & Stacey character you are most like
