Gavin and Stacey finale: Last ever episode to air on Christmas Day, James Corden confirms

The Gavin and Stacey finale fans have been dreaming about for five years has been confirmed by James Corden and it’ll air on Christmas Day in 2024.

Gavin and Stacey captured audiences’ imaginations and went on to secure for itself an iconic place in British popular culture. Charting the relationship between Gavin from Billericay in Essex and Stacey from Barry in Wales, the story is packed full of hilarious, romantic and heartbreaking scenes and so many jokes have become instantly recognisable. So the announcement of a 2019 Christmas special nine years after season 3 ended filled us with excitement. It ended with a major cliffhanger for Smithy and Nessa and just when many of us might have started to doubt we’d ever get an answer, Smithy's actor and the show's co-creator James Corden has confirmed a Gavin and Stacey finale.

Taking to Instagram on 3rd May he shared a tantalising glimpse of him and co-creator Ruth Jones with a script held in front of their faces. On it reads the words, "Gavin and Stacey: the finale" and if that wasn’t enough joy to be getting on with, it’s coming out this year.

"Some news… It’s official!!! We have finished writing the last ever episode of Gavin and Stacey," James wrote in his caption. "See you on Christmas Day, BBC One. Love Ruth and James".

So after rumours emerged in February that it could be the case, Gavin and Stacey are now officially making a comeback on our screens this festive season. The last Gavin and Stacey episode was also a Christmas special and it makes sense that the one-off finale should be too. This could also provide more opportunities to show a passing of time if they did want to set it around another Christmas season following on from the last one.

Gavin and Stacey: From Barry to Billericay | £3.21 at Amazon

Featuring stills and photographs from the show as well as new material written by Ruth Jones and James Corden, this sees Gavin and Stacey take readers on a tour of their home towns. It has character profiles, family trees, Nessa's secret diary, script extracts and much more.

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Fans are understandably more than a little delighted - and surprised - by the news of the Gavin and Stacey finale, with one commenting, "I gasped" and another adding, "Amazing, I hope the episode lasts the whole day. Can’t wait to see it. You’re all brilliant".

"Now I can't wait for Christmas day already and there's a whole 7 months" a third fan said and someone else wrote, "It’s going to be a very merry Christmas".

Sadly there have been no hints from James or Ruth about what the plot of the Gavin and Stacey finale could be. However, we would expect that it either picks up directly after Nessa’s shocking proposal to Smithy. 

What happened in the 2019 Gavin and Stacey Christmas special?

*Warning: Spoilers ahead*

In the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special, Gavin and Stacey were living in Gwen’s neighbour Doris’s house with their three children, Harri, Caitlin and Megan. Meanwhile, Nessa (who memorably chose not to marry her fiancé Dave in the season 3 finale) had moved in with Stacey’s uncle Bryn with her son Neil. Neil regularly made trips up to Essex to see his father Smithy and in the Christmas special Gavin’s parents Mick and Pam travelled to Wales for the festivities.

Smithy’s chemistry with Nessa was still evident, but he’d moved on and had a new girlfriend, Sonia, who was decidedly unpopular at the Christmas dinner table and soon left to spend it with her family.

Outside Smithy finished saying goodbye to her and turned around to find Nessa smoking in front of the house. They talked and it was then that she made one of the biggest decisions in the history of the show. 

"I knows it’s been complicated, you and me," she said. "All this, like. But I loves it. And if truth be told I loves you." 

When Smithy didn’t realise what she was trying to say, Nessa continued, "I knows it's weird, alright? But I do. I loves you with all my heart so will you marry me?"

With an ending like that we couldn’t be more thankful that there’s going to be a last ever episode to show us what happens after Nessa’s proposal and if Smithy accepts.

How to watch the Gavin and Stacey finale 

The final ever episode of Gavin and Stacey will air on 25th December 2024 on BBC One and iPlayer. At this early stage in the year it’s not been confirmed what time the festive special will be broadcast, although the BBC will announce this in due course. Gavin and Stacey seasons 1-3 and the Christmas specials are all available to watch now via BBC iPlayer.