Normally, by 9pm on Christmas Day we've been asleep for a good few hours already - forced into a food and Bailey's coma by too much, well, food and Bailey's. Honestly, it's all just a blissful blur after Christmas pudding. But this year, we're either going to have to moderate our intake (unlikely) or set several alarms for 8.55pm because the thought of missing the final episode of Gavin & Stacey on BBC1 is downright unthinkable.
We've waited five long years to find out how Smithy responded to Nessa's proposal, and since then we've lived through a pandemic, winter Love Island was conceptualised snd scrapped and Wicked was filmed and released. Talk about a cliff hanger.
Fun fact, that Christmas special catapulted Gavin & Stacey into the record books. What started out as a modest BBC3 series Ruth Jones and James Corden first decided to write 20 years ago, became the highest-rated scripted show of the millennium, with 18.5million viewers watching it that Christmas week in 2019. So, this last-ever episode is basically one of the most anticipated British TV events of all time. No pressure then...
So, yes, we CANNOT miss this. Not for all the Celebration boxes and mince pies in Sainsbury's.
But how will the Gavin & Stacey cast be watching the television moment of the year? Well, heatworld asked stars and co-creators Ruth and James just that during a recent interview in London - and their answer was Gavin & Stacey levels of wholesome.
When asked whether they would be watching on Christmas Day, James revealed that him and Ruth and their families (their real ones) are 'going to try and watch it together,' adding, 'It's what we did last time. So, I think that's going to be very, very special.'
Just imagine how much we're going to ugly cry watching this finale come Christmas Day if we're getting teary writing up this story.
So, what can we actually expect from the finale? Well, according to the BBC, '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.'
Oh (said in Nessa voice), and maybe, just maybe, we'll finally find out exactly what happened on that fishing trip.
So oodles of nostalgia and FINALLY some closure, then.
The Finale airs on BBC1 and iPlayer, Christmas Day, 9pm
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Ben Pulsford is a digital writer for Bauer Media, writing for both Closer online and heatworld. When he's not getting paid to gossip about Big Brother, Love Island and The Real Housewives of Cheshire, he's storming the London LGBTQ+ scene as drag queen, Beary Poppins. Both Ben and Beary are awaiting an invite to join The Real Housewives of Cheshire for series 18. The budget's not there, but the drama is.