Gavin and Stacey Christmas special ‘in the works’ at BBC

Filming will begin in summer, reports say

Gavin and Stacey creators James Corden and Ruth Jones will reportedly begin filming a brand new Christmas Special this year.

According to Deadline, the show will come out of a five-year hiatus to start filming the new episode over the summer with a view to air in time for Christmas 2024.

The last episode of the sitcom was aired on Christmas Day in 2019, but viewers have long been hoping that the show might return and reveal the fate of the characters after a cliffhanger ending.

Deadline reports that the episode is currently in development and cameras will roll in a few months. It is produced by Steve Coogan’s Baby Cow Productions, Jones’ Tidy Productions and Fulwell 73, which is co-owned by Corden.

The Independent has contacted representatives for Jones, Corden and the relevant production companies for comment. The BBC declined to comment.

Gavin and Stacey follows a young couple who start their relationship over the phone and eventually stay at each other’s houses. They are both from two charismatic families: one in Billericay, Essex and one in Barry Island, Wales.

The 2019 special ended with Nessa (played by Jones) getting down on one knee to propose to Smithy (played by Corden). The episode cuts off before we can hear his response.

Reports suggest that the majority of the main cast will likely return for the special. Along with Corden and Jones, Gavin and Stacey stars Matthew Horne and Joanna Page in the titular roles, along with including Rob Brydon playing Uncle Bryn, Melanie Walters as Stacey’s mother Gwen West, Julia Davis as Dawn Sutcliffe, and Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb as Gavin’s somewhat overbearing parents.

Ruth Jones and James Corden co-wrote and starred in Gavin & Stacey (Ian Nicholson/PA) (PA Archive)

The news comes as Gavin and Stacey stars Page and Steadman reunited on the set of This Morning, as Steadman appeared to discuss her latest acting project.

Steadman, who plays Gavin’s mum Pam in the series, admitted she would “love” to do another special of the show but both did not allude to a forthcoming reboot.

‘Gavin and Stacey’ cast photographed in 2007 (PA)

In 2020, the show’s star and co-creator Jones shut down claims that the series would make a return to screens.

At the time, her co-star and co-creator Corden was living in the US completing his eight-year-long stint hosting the Late Late Show.

“There aren’t any plans to write anything,” she said at the time. "Obviously James [Corden] is in America and I’m in Wales. I’m sorry not to be able to give you any good news.”

However, Corden left the Late Late Show in April 2023 and returned to the UK, which has prompted many Gavin and Stacey fans to speculate about whether he might want to return to the sitcom.