James Corden addresses Gavin & Stacey ‘spoiler’ after on-set photo leak

Co-writer teased important plot detail for show’s return on Christmas Day

James Corden has teased a series of spoilers about the forthcoming Gavin and Stacey Christmas special finale.

The 46-year-old actor and his co-writer Ruth Jones finished filming the final episode of the BBC sitcom earlier this month. The episode will air on Christmas Day.

Speaking at the Global Gift Gala in London on Monday, Corden hinted that there would be two funerals in the forthcoming Christmas special.

While addressing the crowd, Corden said he had been editing the show that same day and that the funeral scenes were “hard to watch”, before he teased, “But was there a funeral? Maybe yes. Maybe no!”

Though there has been plenty of speculation about what will happen in the finale, Jones previously joked about potential outcomes, and told fans in Barry, “I go ‘There’s going to be a helicopter crash, most of the cast is going to get killed,’ and I just make stuff up!”

During filming, Corden shared a behind-the-scenes image on set, with a picture of Smithy’s car and advert for his  self-employed builder and decorator business, complete with the tagline: “If your husband won’t do it - I will...tilin [sic], roofin [sic], plasterin [sic], & feng shui.” The picture also includes a phone number to call Smithy on.

The ‘Gavin & Stacey’ cast (Tom Jackson/BBC/PA Wire)

Rob Brydon, who played Uncle Bryn in the series, has said he was “emotional” when reading the script, while Alison Steadman, who plays Gavin’s mum Pam, told The One Show’s Alex Jones that the cast were all in tears when they wrapped filming in early October.

“We’ve had a great five weeks, we only finished on Monday night. But we were all dreading that final scene. I think 90 per cent of us were in tears, some people braved it – it’s been so fantastic.”

The ‘Gavin and Stacey’ in their Christmas crowns for the 2019 special (BBC)

First aired between 2007 and 2010, the series stars Mathew Horne and Joanna Page as Gavin and Stacey, an Essex boy from Billericay and a Welsh girl from Barry Island, who fall in love from afar, and tracks how their families unite as their romance develops.

The finale will pick up after the 2019 Christmas finale cliffhanger, which saw Nessa and Smithy’s long-running love-hate relationship hit its climax as Nessa declared her love for Smithy, and got down on one knee to propose.

Fans have been waiting nearly five years for Smithy’s response, since the episode cuts before he had the chance to reply.