Is this really the end for Gavin & Stacey? “I would love to come back every year”

As I delve into this captivating piece, it stirs a sense of nostalgia within me, reminiscent of the days when I too was a young actor embarking on a journey that would forever change my life. The story of Gavin and Stacey, two characters that have transcended the small screen and etched themselves into our hearts, resonates deeply with me.

17 years have passed since the debut of Gavin & Stacey, a show that beautifully portrayed love, friendship, and family chaos in an Anglo-Cymraeg setting. Now, the characters Gavin, Stacey, and the West/Shipman families are returning to our screens, as creators James Corden and Ruth Jones wrap up their lengthy narrative with a festive finale.

If you’ve caught every single episode, it means you’ve seen the entirety of my acting work on television. In the sixth episode of the second season, there’s a classic, humorous subplot where Pam Shipman (played by Alison Steadman) organizes local protests against a new cell tower.

Due to my past occupation as a men’s magazine journalist, I have had the opportunity to appear as an extra in an unusual yet noticeable role – playing one of two phone company workers who push through Pam’s crowd of demonstrators to install a sign. Despite my later career as a food critic on shows like MasterChef, this particular event is still the one that excites me the most and generates the most messages from people.

It’s often humorous yet not entirely accurate when people bring up my minor role in one of the most cherished British comedies from this current era as a notable claim to fame.

After last year’s Christmas special, we are eagerly awaiting answers about potential funerals, Uncle Bryn and Jason’s fishing trip, and Smithy’s reaction to Nessa’s proposal, which are just around the corner. Given this excitement, I can’t help but wonder why I wasn’t contacted to reprise my significant character in this upcoming season, Mat Horne and Joanna Page – both back as the main characters – being the first people I’d like to ask about it.

Horning softly, he quips, “Looks like things are taking a more somber turn, eh?” He assures Jimi that it’s not due to his performance. In fact, there had been quite a discussion about it. However, they chose to end the presentation with an unresolved note, they explain.

For five years now, the enigma surrounding Jones and Corden’s apparent readiness to end their series without resolution has been a major topic of discussion. Ever since the 2019 Christmas Day special (viewed by 18.5 million households) concluded, there’s been an eagerness across the nation to find out what happened next – even among the cast themselves. As Page put it, “After the last special, I felt like a fan. I was thinking, ‘What happened? Can’t you tell us more about Smithy’s words?’ Yet, I wouldn’t be surprised if [Corden and Jones] chose to leave things unresolved like that.

In January 2024, a wave of understanding finally arrived, following a series of preliminary phone calls. As Horne recalled with amusement, “James unexpectedly called me, inquiring if I was acquainted with Ruth Jones’ work.” At the same time, Page’s heart skipped a beat upon seeing Corden’s name appear on her screen, thinking to herself, “Wow, this is really happening!

It’s no surprise that everyone was eager to reunite the band for one final adventure in Barry and Billericay. However, during the ensuing months as schedules were ironed out, none of them were privy to even a hint about the script’s plot development. As Horne affirms, “They didn’t share any details about what happened in the script with us, but I had complete faith.

A few weeks prior to the July read-through, her patience was rewarded with an email that came in, quite fittingly, at a location reminiscent of Gavin & Stacey. “I had completed a job and pulled over at a rest stop to grab a burger on my way home,” she recounts. “When I looked down at my phone, the message read ‘Gavin & Stacey: read-through script.’

Page spent the following hours traveling from one rest stop to another, eagerly discovering the outcomes of Gav, Stacey, Nessa, Smithy, and their crew, all while ensuring she didn’t receive a parking ticket. She finds the conclusion “typical” of Gavin & Stacey, while Horne adds, “They have crafted the ideal ending.

As a dedicated moviegoer, I can’t help but feel like a kid on Christmas Eve, eagerly anticipating the unwrapping of this cinematic mystery that lies ahead. The cast has been exceptionally secretive about the ending, making it a challenge for them to keep their lips sealed amidst the persistent curiosity of fans and paparazzi who’ve flooded Barry Island and its surrounding areas during filming. But patience, they say, is a virtue, and I can’t wait to join the rest of Britain in uncovering the answers on Christmas Day.

For Page, a significant portion of her enthusiasm stemmed from her immediate family, as she is married to fellow actor James Thornton and they share four children together. During the filming process, without revealing any plot secrets to her 11-year-old daughter, Eva, the actress ensured everyone vacated her bedroom so she could rehearse her lines in private.

Later on, she peeked under the bed and discovered an iPad concealed there for secretly recording all events. “In my very own home,” she exclaimed with a chuckle, “I had to be cautious about what I said! The idea of unintentionally exposing something is downright petrifying.

In the near future, a more significant challenge awaited as these actors returned to characters they initially portrayed approximately 20 years prior. “Before we began,” said Page, “I told my mom, ‘How can I play Stacey again? I’m 47 now, I have four children, and I don’t resemble the way I used to look. So how can I still embody that overly enthusiastic, bubbly girl?’

In simpler terms, Her mother was the one who pointed out that Stacey Shipman, a 40-something mom of three with a 14-year-long marriage, has also evolved over time. “She’s grown just as I have,” Stacey says, explaining that she didn’t dwell on it and instead chose to enjoy herself. Even though she was emotionally drained during her final filming sessions, she also recognized the changes for the better. “I wasn’t responsible for the school run anymore, I didn’t have to cook all the time, people were bringing me tea,” she says, likening it to a vacation.

For Horne, shooting the final episode marked a refreshing change from often being pigeonholed as the consistently puzzled sidekick. This experience aligned with a renewed sense of appreciation. At 46 years old, he reflects, “It’s not so bad to be recognized for portraying Gavin Shipman as an actor. Embracing that acceptance brought a tremendous feeling of freedom.

Furthermore, he mentions that recent life events since the previous show – welcoming a new son with his partner, set designer Celina Bassili – have made him feel even more connected to his character. “Gavin has been an ongoing inspiration for me over the past 17 years; it’s possible he was the one who suggested I should become a father as well.

This rich sense of the passage of time is sure to be a key part of the finale’s potent cocktail. It’s also why, though Horne admires the fact Corden and Jones are “finishing on their own terms”, Page would welcome the possibility of a few more sporadic, Royle Family-style specials.

She expresses her desire to return annually, but she’s not optimistic about it happening again. Her sentiment seems to indicate that it might indeed be the last time, though nothing is definitively certain. What we do know is that Christmas Day’s episode will be emotional, full of unexpected moments, a missing phone company employee who appears uncomfortable, and if our families are anything like Page’s, a joyful chaos reminiscent of past celebrations.

She mentions that we might catch the special event, but with a glass of sherry or wine in hand, she’ll likely be urging silence from everyone due to the excitement. Then, as it’s the final one, she expects to become emotional. So, she predicts it will be quite an emotional Gavin & Stacey Christmas.

The fictitious couple, Billericay and Barry, are soon to disappear from our screens. Yet, it seems their impact on the performers who embodied them and the audience who relished each memorable scene, will remain indelible.

2024-12-10 04:41

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