Gavin & Stacey writer and star James Corden has revealed why he thinks the sitcom has been such a hit with audiences for the best part of two decades, saying that nothing about the show is “fake” and that it is essentially to do with “family and friendship”. Corden, who plays Smithy, wrote the show alongside Ruth Jones, who plays Nessa. Since the first episode aired on BBC Three in 2007, the pair have captured the hearts of the nation with a sitcom which started off as a story about two people falling in love but which became so much more.
On Christmas Day fans will get to see the final ever episode as it airs on BBC One at 9pm, bringing the curtain down on one of the most popular British sitcoms ever made. The 2019 special was watched by more than 11 million viewers, with almost half of all TV viewers that evening tuning in. This year’s finale promises to attract similar numbers, with anticipation growing ever since the episode was confirmed earlier this year. For the latest TV & Showbiz news, sign up to our newsletter.
Corden has opened up about how it felt to bring the old band back together one last time. He said: “It felt incredible. I mean for a long time when Ruth and I were writing the show we actually didn’t know if it would ever come to fruition because really what we’ve always done is just write it for ourselves and then figure out if we think it might be good enough for an audience. It just felt so good to be back in a room with Ruth and then thinking we may have happened on a story which might be satisfying.”
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Corden has since gone to be a household name both in the UK and the US after he hosted The Late Late Show with James Corden between 2015 and 2023, a hit chat show on CBS which included hugely popular segments like Carpool Karaoke. “When I think back to when we started the show, almost 20 years to the day, I couldn’t feel more like a different person really,” he said. “Being part of the show, as soon as it started to become successful, was incredibly intoxicating. It was discombobulating really because it seemed to go from 0-10 very, very quickly but I’ve only fond memories of that whole time.
“I don’t think anybody when you start writing a TV show thinks you’ll be still writing these characters 20 years on, it’s nuts really. But I think when we finished the last special in the manner that we did we knew that we’d very much left a door open. Ruth and I at various points had thought maybe we should do one, maybe we shouldn’t. But it’s such a privilege to be able to end a show on your own terms, like it’s not lost on us how fortunate we are to be able to do that.”
The star has revealed the idea for Gavin & Stacey was born in a hotel 20 years ago when he was sat with his friend Ruth Jones. Neither had any idea that the show would become what it has in the ensuing 17 years. “Gavin & Stacey is just a huge part of my life, it changed my life in every way,” he said. “The thing it means to me most is my friendship with Ruth. To have an idea with a friend in a hotel in Leeds 20 years ago and then be sat here today with what it’s become – if you think about it too much you could really just start crying all the time. I love her so much and I’m so proud of what we’ve done.”
Corden hopes millions of viewers will enjoy the new special and thinks the show strikes a chord with so many people because it is “pure” and full of “warmth and love”. He added: “It’s difficult for me to say why the show is popular and loved. I think fundamentally the show is about love and about people who like each other. It’s about family and friendship. There’s just so much warmth and love within them as a group. None of that is faked, that’s all there in our relationships as a cast really. I think there’s something very pure about watching people who get on and love each other without conflict. I hope people feel that on Christmas day.”
Gavin & Stacey: The Finale will air on Christmas Day at 9pm on BBC One and on BBC iPlayer. A special documentary entitled Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell will also be aired over the festive period, with a date and time to be confirmed.
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