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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Lisa McLoughlin

Gavin and Stacey plot teased as cast spotted filming amid wedding fan speculation

Gavin and Stacey’s Ruth Jones was seen appearing to be in tears while filming what seemed to be her character’s hen do for the upcoming Christmas special alongside her co-stars.

Throughout the BBC sitcom, Jones’ Vanessa ‘Nessa’ Jenkins and Smithy, played by James Corden, have had a tumultuous relationship, with the 2019 Christmas special leaving viewers in suspense after she proposed.

Now, cast members including Jones, Joanna Page, Julia Davis, Alison Steadman, and Melanie Walters have been spotted filming a girls' night out for Nessa's hen do, adding to the excitement.

In photos obtained by MailOnline, the characters appeared unsettled, hinting that the party doesn’t unfold as expected.

In one scene, Nessa looked frustrated while standing outside a bar with her best friend Stacey before seemingly breaking down in tears.

Fans received more hints about the upcoming wedding featured in the Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special as on-location filming in Barry wrapped up last Wednesday.

The cast was seen boarding the iconic Dave's Coaches, heading to the church for the big day, but the bride-to-be, Nessa, was noticeably missing.

Among those boarding the coach was a dapper Corden, raising questions about whether his character, Smithy, and Nessa will actually get married.

These scenes marked the final moments filmed by the cast at the famous Barry Island, with production on the show’s last episode continuing at other locations in the weeks ahead.

Smithy and Nessa’s on-off romance has been a central theme in the BBC sitcom, with the 2019 Christmas special ending on a cliffhanger after Nessa’s proposal.

The hit TV series 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 Jones’s character Nessa proposed to Neil “Smithy” Smith, played by Corden.

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

In the sitcom, Mathew Horne and 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.

The 2019 Christmas 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.

The festive final episode of Gavin And Stacey will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One on December 25.

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