Filming begins for final episode of Gavin and Stacey, BBC announces

Filming has begun for the final episode of Gavin And Stacey, the BBC has announced.

The beloved sitcom, written by actors Ruth Jones and James Corden, will return on Christmas Day this year.

On Monday the broadcaster shared a photo of a clapperboard, dated September 2, which said “Gavin & Stacey The Finale”.

In reference to a phrase often muttered by Alison Steadman’s character Pam, the caption read: “Oh. My. Christ.”

“The final episode of Gavin & Stacey started filming today,” it added.

“Truth be told, we’re a little bit excited.

“Watch #GavinandStacey on #iPlayer this Christmas Day.”

The hit TV series originally aired for three series between 2007 and 2010 and made a comeback in 2019 for a one-off festive episode which ended on a cliff-hanger when Nessa (Jones) proposed to Smithy (Corden).

Former chat show host Corden, 46, announced the show’s return in an Instagram post on May 3 by sharing an image of him and Jones with a 2024 script titled Gavin and Stacey: The finale.

In the sitcom, Mathew Horne and Joanna Page play lovers Gavin and Stacey, Larry Lamb is Gavin’s father Mick, Melanie Walters portrays Stacey’s widowed mother Gwen, and Rob Brydon plays her Uncle Bryn.

Corden revealed in July that he and Jones had finished writing the script for the final episode.

The 2019 festive episode scored the highest overnight Christmas ratings in 12 years, attracting an average audience of 11.6 million viewers, making it the biggest festive special since Christmas Day 2008.

By the new year, it had been viewed by 17.1 million people, making it the biggest scripted programme of the decade at the time.

It went on to win the impact award at the National Television Awards in 2020.