When is the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special on TV?

16 December 2024, 11:31 | Updated: 19 December 2024, 16:49

Gavin & Stacey: The Finale takes place on Christmas Day. Picture: BBC/Toffee International Ltd./Tom Jackson

By Jenny Mensah

The much-loved sitcom is set to return to our screens one last time and now the official trailer has been released. Here's what we know so far.

Loading audio...

Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Gavin and Stacey would return for one last episode on Christmas Day 2024 and now the show's official trailer has finally been unleashed.

The much-loved sitcom - starring Mathew Horne and Joanna Page as its titular characters - promised fans one last hurrah in a festive episode which is tipped to be one of the most-watched moments of the year.

Now, the sitcom, which also includes writers and creators James Corden and Ruth Jones, alongside Larry Lamb, Alison Steadman, Melani Walters and Rob Brydon, has dropped its official trailer giving us an night on what to expect of the finale.

Watch it below and find out when Gavin & Stacey will be on TV, plus what to expect from the Christmas special.

Watch the official Gavin & Stacey trailer

When is the Gavin & Stacey finale on TV?

Gavin & Stacey's final episode will air on Christmas Day 2024 from 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Who returns in the cast for the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special?

We can certainly see the return of Mathew Horne and Joanna Page as Gavin and Stacey, James Corden and as Smithy, Ruth Jones as Nessa, Larry Lamb and Alison Steadman as Gavin's parents Mick and Pam Shipman, Melanie Walters as Stacey's mum Gwen west and Rob Brydon as Uncly Bryn.

According to the trailer, they'll also be joined by Adrian Scarborough and Julia Davis as the Shipman's friends and neighbours Pete and Dawn Sutcliffe, and Robert Wilford, who plays Jason West. Will we FINALLY know what happened on that fishing trip with Bryn? Let's read on...

James Corden, Mathew Horne, Joanna Page and Ruth Jones. Picture: BBC/Toffee International Ltd./Tom Jackson.

What can we expect from the Gavin & Stacey finale?

With rumours flying around about everything from celebrity cameos to Uncle Bryn even meeting his maker in the episode, it's hard to know what to expect from the Christmas special.

A helpful description of the episode reads: "It’s five years since we left Nessa down on one knee declaring her love for Smithy and asking him to marry her. And a lot has happened in those five years.

"In Barry, Bryn’s packing the Picasso in readiness for a trip to Essex; Stacey and Gavin are looking for new ways to spice up their seventeen year marriage and Gwen is behaving most strangely. Nessa’s started a new business venture and Neil the Baby’s about to begin an apprenticeship with his dad.

"Over in Billericay Pam is stressing out at the prospect of playing hostess, not helped by a newly retired Mick practicing his golf swings in the living room and there have been more ups and downs in Pete and Dawn’s relationship.

"Join us on the journey to Barry and Billericay as we catch up with the Shipmans and the Wests for the very last time and maybe find out what exactly did happen on that fishing trip."

However, the creators themselves have warned the finale might not be what viewers necessarily want or expect.

“I keep telling people this finale might not be what you are expecting,” Ruth Jones told the Big Issue. “And I guarantee we will definitely not be coming back.”

Corden added: “What people are going to see on Christmas Day is the culmination of a 20-year love story, which hopefully shows, if nothing else, that love is complicated and messy and for everyone.”

James Corden, Mathew Horne, Joanna Page and Ruth Jones in Gavin & Stacey. Picture: BBC/Toffee International Ltd./Tom Jackson.

When did Gavin and Stacey start?

Gavin and Stacey ran for three seasons between 2007 and 2010. It followed the couple (who hailed from Billericay, Essex and Barry Island, Wales respectively), their love story and their humorous friends and family.

When was the last Gavin and Stacey episode?

The much-loved show last returned for a Christmas special back in 2019 and the last episode ended on a cliffhanger when Nessa (Jones) proposed to Smithy (Corden).