Gavin and Stacey actress Ruth Jones set to reprise role

It was only days ago that 12 million viewers watched the final ever episode of Gavin and Stacey, but Ruth Jones is already reprising her role as Nessa Jenkins.

The actress will step back into Nessa’s trademark black bob wig and leather skirt to read Radio 4’s Shipping Forecast as the programme celebrates its centenary on the BBC on New Year’s Day.

Ms Jones, 58, said: ‘Nessa has got quite a colourful history and one of her jobs was on the high seas. The Shipping Forecast was always very important and useful to her.’

During the final episode of Gavin And Stacey this year, Smithy played by James Corden, 46, stopped Nessa from going back to work on the ships by racing to Southampton Dock.

He proposed to Welsh Nessa and the final scene featured a heartwarming montage of their wedding and the couple finally getting their happily ever after.

The episode attracted the highest Christmas ratings since 2008 with an average audience of 12.3 million tuning in.

It is the first time a Gavin and Stacey character will return, despite Mr Corden and Ms Jones vowing not to write another episode of the hit comedy.

There is however a new documentary about the programme, titled Gavin and Stacey: A Fond Farewell, which will broadcast on New Year’s Day at 7pm.

The creative duo also have a book about the show due out next Autumn called When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between: A Story Of Love And Friendship.

Despite ruling out a return to the series, Corden has said he wants to work with Jones again.

He said: ‘We don’t know if we have another idea in us but I can honestly say that if we didn’t attempt to try and even explore the idea of writing together then I’d be so disappointed.’

Actors Julie Hesmondhalgh, Stephen Fry and Line Of Duty’s Adrian Dunbar, and sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur are also among those marking the first broadcast of the Met Office’s forecast on the BBC in October 1925.

The famous faces will drop in throughout the day to share historic shipping forecasts along with their personal memories.

Radio 4 controller Mohit Bakaya said: ‘The Shipping Forecast is one of our national treasures. So I’m delighted that we are cracking a bottle against the hull to launch 100 years of the Shipping Forecast on the BBC with a special schedule of programming on New Year’s Day.’

The Shipping Forecast is produced by the Met Office on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

This year marked its centenary, after first being heard on January 1, 1924 as a weather bulletin called Weather Shipping.

It moved a year later to the BBC.