December 26th 2024.
Unfortunately, not everyone could make it to the highly anticipated Gavin and Stacey finale. Despite the best efforts of creators Ruth Jones and James Corden, there simply wasn't enough room for all of the beloved characters. However, they did manage to gather most of the gang back together for the 90-minute special.
The core cast, including Mathew Horne, Joanna Page, Larry Lamb, and Alison Steadman, all cleared their schedules to reprise their roles in the BBC sitcom. But it wasn't just the main characters who made a comeback. The finale also saw the return of some fan-favorite characters who hadn't been seen since the last episode in 2010. Characters like Budgie and Rudi made a comeback, while supporting characters Dawn and Pete had a bigger role in the storyline.
One character who unfortunately didn't make it into the finale was Dick Powell. Despite appearing in two episodes and being mentioned numerous times by the Wests, Dick didn't make the cut. He was known as the door-to-door salesperson in Barry Island, selling everything from sat navs to meat, and was the only person in town who spoke Welsh, according to Uncle Bryn. Ruth Jones even revealed that they had included Dick in an earlier version of the script, but had to cut him out in the end.
Actor Gwynfor Roberts, who played Dick Powell, also missed out on reprising his role. He had previously worked on the Welsh soap Pobol y Cwm and was excited to return to Gavin and Stacey. But unfortunately, there just wasn't enough space for his character in the finale.
Ruth Jones shared during an early screening of the finale, "I think in the original script we had Dick Powell. There just wasn't room for him, God bless him." Despite not being able to include Dick, it was still a joy for Ruth and James to bring back the rest of the gang.
One of the most heartwarming returns was Neil the baby, played by Oscar Hartland. The now 17-year-old joined the show as an actual baby and reauditioned for the part in 2019. In the finale, Ruth and James, who play Neil's parents, were able to showcase Oscar's other talents as a musician. He even got the chance to sing on the show, performing The Beatles' song "Blackbird" at the ill-fated wedding of Smithy and Sonia.
Ruth admitted that she was "a mess" while watching Oscar's performance, and James proudly stated, "He does it so brilliantly, and we were so proud of him and we love him. What a journey – from baby to that."
Viewers were also in for a surprise when Sonia made a comeback after abruptly leaving on Christmas Day in the 2019 episode. This created the perfect opportunity for Nessa to finally confess her love for Smithy and propose. In a twist, it turned out that Sonia was actually the bride, and the cast went to great lengths to keep this a secret. Laura Aikman, who plays Sonia, even stayed in different hotels from the rest of the cast and kept her role a secret from her own parents.
Praising her incredible performance, James said, "It's an almost impossible task, and in the hands of anybody else, it would be a cartoon. And I hope that she gets celebrated for what is, I think, a pitch-perfect performance."
After 17 years of creating the show, the finale officially brought an end to one of the UK's most beloved sitcoms. The last day of filming was also the last scene viewers saw – Smithy and Nessa's wedding reception in a pub. As the final take was called, the director played the theme tune, "Run" by Stephen Fretwell, which got everyone emotional.
Ruth recalled, "That got us all going as you can imagine." James added, "It was probably the most emotional film set I've ever been on, and it was kind of wonderful. So many of our crew have been with us from the start, and so it was a wonderful way to close it all out. On a Monday in Barry."
The finale is now available to watch on BBC iPlayer, and it's safe to say that it was a bittersweet ending for all involved. As James put it, "It was a crazy ride for 17 years, and it's a wonderful way to close it all out."
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