Comedy series Gavin and Stacey will return for a one-off Christmas special, James Corden has announced.
Corden broke the news via Twitter this morning (May 28), tweeting a picture of a script, saying he and co-writer Ruth Jones had been ‘keeping this secret for a while’.
Ruth Jones and I have been keeping this secret for a while… We’re excited to share it with you. See you on Christmas Day @BBCOne #GavinandStacey pic.twitter.com/gTRa3cp90t
— James Corden (@JKCorden) May 28, 2019
Joanna Page, who played Stacey, confirmed she will be returning for the special, saying she is ‘so excited this is happening’ and that she will see everyone at Christmas.
The BBC also confirmed the announcement, saying it was ‘hugely excited’ to welcome the show back to BBC One.
The Bafta-winning sitcom tells the story of a long-distance relationship between a girl from South Wales and an Essex boy. The series started in 2007 and ran for only 20 episodes, ending in 2010.
In a joint statement, James Corden and Ruth Jones, who also who play the characters Smithy and Nessa, told the BBC:
“Over the last ten years, we’ve talked a lot about Gavin and Stacey – where they might be today and what their lives might look like. And so in secret, we took the plunge and wrote this one-hour special.
“We’ve loved revisiting Barry and Essex again, and bringing the characters back together has been a joy.
“We’re so excited to get the chance to work with our fabulous cast and crew once more and to give fans of the show a festive treat this Christmas.”
The BBC has confirmed that James Corden and Ruth Jones will be joined in the new special by castmates Mathew Horne and Joanna Page – who play the titular couple, plus Rob Brydon, Larry Lamb, Melanie Walters and Alison Steadman.