Gavin and Stacey fans were left feeling all sorts of emotions as the show’s finale brought unexpected romances, a disrupted wedding and a surprise split. Airing on Christmas Day, this final chapter wrapped things up following the 2019 festive special cliffhanger where Vanessa ‘Nessa’ Jenkins (played by Ruth Jones) shockingly got down on one knee for and proposed to Neil ‘Smithy’ Smith (James Corden).
The episode kicked off with a bang, making fans go wild as Nessa sparked up her iconic cigarette and a vape simultaneously, bending BBC’s usual stance on broadcasting smoking to highlight Nessa’s legendary nicotine fix. Viewers were quick to jump on social media to express their thoughts.
(Image: BBC)
One viewer was in disbelief: “Not me wondering if they’d censor Nessa’s smoking in the big old year of 2024, only for them to have her swinging between a vape AND a cigarette #GavinAndStacey.” Another said: “PLEASE Nessa vaping and smoking at the same time she’s literally just a girl #GavinAndStacey.” A third viewer found humour in it: “Nessa was always going to be smoking a cig and vape at the same time #GavinAndStacey,” reports the Mirror.
Meanwhile, others crowned Ruth’s character a queen for her actions with tweets like: “Nessa vaping and smoking at the same time. my queen forever. #GavinAndStacey.”
The finale served up some unexpected romantic twists, revealing that Stacey’s mum, Gwen had been secretly seeing Dave Coaches for six months. This news left her family stunned, but eventually, even uncle Bryn came around to the idea.
Meanwhile, Smithy dropped a bombshell by popping the question to Nessa, finally addressing the intense cliffhanger from their 2019 Christmas special and taking them down the aisle. The build-up to their engagement saw the dramatic disruption of Smithy’s almost-wedding to his girlfriend Sonia, which had initially crushed fans’ hearts.
A festive 90-minute episode wouldn’t be complete without some familiar faces, and fans were thrilled to see Sheridan Smith reprise her role as Smithy’s sister Rudi. Plus, Adrian Scarborough and Julia Davis returned as Pete and Dawn Sutcliffe, this time portraying a recently divorced duo.
As Nessa and Smithy’s wedding brought the episode to a joyful close, fans poured onto X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their emotions on the stirring final scenes. A fan, thrilled with the show’s conclusion, wrote: “There will never be a better show than Gavin and Stacey. thanks for all the laughs and happy memories, you’ll be missed!”
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Another said: “That was the most perfect way to end Gavin + Stacey. Tonight I’ve laughed. I’ve cried. And everything in between. Ruth Jones, Nessa, and James Corden, Smithy, said at the premiere that the show’s all about the emotions of love and everything in between – tonight showed that.”
One viewer shared: “SOBBING at gavin and stacey it’s about bloody time nessa and smithy ffs heart is healed finally.” A third chimed in: “GAVIN AND STACEY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL YOU WERE EVERYTHING I WANTED AND MORE.”
However, not everyone was pleased, with one disgruntled viewer writing: “Gavin and Stacey finale was proper average.” Another added: “Gavin and Stacey was predictable, ” while a third commented: “Sorry but that Gavin and Stacey ep was cr*p.”
A fourth noted: “Question those that enjoy Gavin and Stacey. That felt rushed and a dragged out obvious ending..”
This might not be the last we see of Gavin and Stacey, as Ruth Jones and James Corden have announced a 2025 project following the finale. The duo revealed they are writing a new book together, titled When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between: A Story Of Love And Friendship.
This literary gem will hit book shops in Autumn 2025 and will detail their journey to creating a comedy that touched the hearts of a nation.
Ruth Jones and James Corden said: “We’re so excited to be sharing the story behind the story of Gavin and Stacey. The show has played a huge part in our twenty-five-year friendship and we hope this book will give readers a fresh insight into how it all came about.”
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Meanwhile, their publisher Penguin couldn’t resist adding to the buzz for the book, describing it as an intimate look into the making of the massive hit show: “Gavin and Stacey is a TV series like no other. Now, for the first time, its creators James and Ruth tell the full extraordinary story of how they turned their little show into a full-on cultural phenomenon,” they said.
Detailing the trials and triumphs, Penguin continued: “As they recount the rejection, obstacles and challenges they faced on the way to giving birth to their beloved comedy creation, James and Ruth also explore the flourishing of their own real-life friendship. While their now legendary on-screen characters Nessa and Smithy had a profound awkwardness to negotiate, culminating in that marriage proposal in the 2019 Christmas special, Ruth and James forged a magical relationship of mutual support based also on a deep, shared sense of subversive fun.”
They hinted at the treasure trove of tales in the upcoming release: “Here, from their tentative initial pitch to the emotionally overwhelming final day of filming, the duo detail what’s occurred every step of the way, bouncing off each other in inimitable style. Full of revelations and never-before-heard stories, this is a one-of-a-kind book about a show that’s already gone down in history.”
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