Gavin and Stacey fans left gobsmacked as old star returns as Smithy's bride

Mathew Horne, Joanna Page, Ruth Jones and James Corden have reunited one last time as Gavin, Stacey, Nessa and Smithy for a festive and final episode of their hit BBC sitcom

Gavin and Stacey fans were rocked by the last ever episode of the long-running BBC soap - which bowed out on Christmas Day with shock twists.

The series - created, written, and starring Ruth Jones and James Corden as Vanessa Shanessa 'Nessa' Jenkins and Neil 'Smithy' Smith respectively - has been on the air since 2007 and has unleashed three seasons and 21 episodes in the years since. But the show has now reached a definitive end with the 2024 Christmas Special - which was titled The Final.

Viewers tuned in to watch title characters Gavin and Stacey Shipman, played by Mathew Horne and Joanna Page, reunite with the rest of the characters for one final adventure. After Nessa proposed to Smithy in the 2019 special, viewers were emotional to see how the characters would be portrayed for the final time.

However, it was Smithy's girlfriend Sonia, played by Laura Aikman, from the 2019 Christmas special that was unveiled as his bride to be - leaving fans devastated. Fans stormed X with comments, with one writing: "Everyone watching Gavin & Stacey now knowing smithy did not say yes to nessa. #GavinAndStacey." Another typed: "Nooooo #GavinAndStacey #Gavin&Stacey." And a further fan wailed: "Gavin and Stacey ruined , why arnt nessa and smithy together."

The last ever episode has been heavily promoted - with Ruth and James appearing on Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden on Christmas Eve to tease details of festive special and field questions from listeners. One fan calling in to the radio show asked: "Hi James and Ruth, my name is Hannah. I just wanted to ask the question, does everybody make it through the finale? I've heard rumours of a funeral. What is going on?”

Ruth replied: "The thing is, Hannah, I think it would spoil it for you if we told you what's actually going to happen. I think you're just going to have to go with the flow and ride those emotions." While another asked if viewers will finally learn of what happened on the fabled fishing trip between Rob Brydon's character Uncle Bryn and Robert Wilfort's character Jason West. But Ruth only teased: "All we can say is it is not illegal in this country."

Rumours of a character death were spun by Corden himself when he said earlier this year: “What we were editing today was a very moving and emotional scene at Bryn’s funeral. I’m joking, I promise. Or am I?” While cast of the show have promised fans that the last ever episode will be full of emotional scenes.

Mathew revealed earlier this month: “I want to say I was nervous about reading the script as it’s always been Ruth’s (Jones) and James’s (Corden) priority to get the script perfect in the first instance, to tell a story the right way. And I had no evidence to suggest that this final script wouldn’t adhere to those principles and be anything other than brilliant. I did have a nervous compulsion to read it immediately and my expectations were exceeded. It made me laugh, it made me cry and upon completion, I thought it was nothing short of a masterpiece.

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