Gavin and Stacey fans in tears after 'perfect ending' to show's final episode

Gavin and Stacey fans have been left in tears after the "perfect ending" to the last episode of the BBC sitcom.

The beloved comedy series returned for an eagerly-anticipated episode tonight (December 25), five years on from a proposal that gripped the nation. Back in 2019, the show surprised viewers with a Christmas special that ended with a huge cliffhanger.

Fans of Gavin and Stacey have waited years to find out whether Smithy (James Corden) accepted Nessa's (Ruth Jones) proposal.

Just moments after viewers tuned in for one final adventure, it was revealed that Smithy failed to accept Nessa's proposal. Instead, he was set to marry his girlfriend Sonia, played by Laura Aikman, in a twist that left fans devastated.

The last ever episode began with Smithy preparing to celebrate his stag do before he went down the aisle to swap vows with Sonia. The celebration brought all the main characters together for a knees - but Nessa struggled with her emotions as the countdown to the wedding progressed.

However, in the end, fans got the ending they had dreamed of as Smithy and Nessa finally said "I do". After realising he was meant to be with Nessa, Smithy dropped down on one knee in an emotional scene on a cargo ship.

He told Nessa: “Five years ago on Christmas Day, you asked me a question and I didn’t answer you. And I thought about it every day. And I’m sorry I left you hanging.

“I know it’s been messy and not perfect. But that’s because we’re messy and not perfect. But I love you, Nessa. I always have. Will you marry me?"

After the episode, overjoyed fans took to X - formerly Twitter - in an outpouring of emotion.

@l0ttiehall said: "That episode of Gavin and Stacey was incredible. What a perfect ending to the best show ever. Felt like a proper goodbye."

@Racingfan211 added: "The perfect ending to my fave series of the last 20 years, I’ve cried buckets watching that!"

@GhoseJill said: "Beautiful. Tidy ending. Crying happy tears for Nessa and Smithy but sad it’s the finale."

@RyAdLamb posted: "Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant and brilliant. Perfect television."

The cast have confirmed that tonight's episode will be the last ever for the show, which originally aired between 2007 and 2010.

However, fans can also enjoy Gavin and Stacey: A Fond Farewell on New Years Day at 7pm on BBC One. It's a 60-minute documentary that reflects on the best bits from the previous three series, and tells the story of what it's like being one of Britain's favourite sitcoms for 17 years.