Beloved sitcom Gavin & Stacey to return for Christmas special five years after cliffhanger finale

Five years after ending on a dramatic cliffhanger, a beloved sitcom is set to return to screens one last time this Christmas.

Five years after ending on a dramatic cliffhanger, beloved British sitcom Gavin & Stacey is set to return to screens for a Christmas special.

Created by comedic duo James Corden and Ruth Jones, the BBC One series ran for three seasons from 2007 to 2010, before returning in 2019 for a record-breaking holiday special that ended with an unanswered marriage proposal.

In Gavin & Stacey: The Finale, airing on BINGE on December 26, fans finally get to see if Smithy (played by Corden) accepts Nessa’s (Jones) wedding proposal, as the previous special ended before he had the chance to reply.

British comedy series Gavin & Stacey ran on BBC from 2007 to 2010 and stars James Corden, Mathew Horne, Joanna Page and Ruth Jones. Picture: BBC

The 2019 Christmas special ended on a cliffhanger when Nessa (Jones) proposes to Smithy (Corden). Picture: BBC

That Christmas episode drew in more than 17 million viewers for BBC One, making it the biggest scripted series of the decade in the UK.

On Tuesday, BINGE released a first look at the new special, which revisits titular characters Gavin Shipman (Mathew Horne) and Stacey West (Joanna Page), who fell in love after a pursuing a long-distance relationship across Billericay in Essex and the seaside town of Barry in Wales.

The series tracked how their families and worlds united as they merged their lives together, eventually getting married and having three children.

Stream Gavin & Stacey on BINGE, available on Hubbl.

A first look at the cast in 2024. Picture: BBC

When viewers rejoin the series this Boxing Day, the episode will follow Gavin and Stacey trying to navigate 17 years of marriage while still very much engrossed in the lives of their friends and family.

“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,” reads the statement announcing the new special.

Corden and Jones finished writing the last ever episode in May. Picture: Instagram

Corden officially announced that the reunion special was ready for filming after he and Jones finished writing the script back in May.

“Some news… It’s official!!!” he shared on Instagram at the time. “We have finished writing the last ever episode of Gavin and Stacey. See you on Christmas Day, BBC One. Love Ruth and James.”

The cast and crew filming in location in Barry in Wales. Picture: Instagram

Corden has since kept details of the last-ever episode under wraps, but he did say that he and Jones got emotional when trying to find fitting farewells for each character.

Speaking with Virgin Radio back in July, Corden said, “We’ve finished writing – we’ll never write anything that Pam [Alison Steadman’s character] says again … We’ll never come up with an interesting thing that Bryn [Rob Brydon’s character] has done.

“And we just looked at each other and thought, ‘Ah, isn’t that amazing?’ To even have the luxury of deciding to end it, and to be in a position where people still care. It’s inconceivable to us – all of it. I just feel very emotional about it, everything.”