It's argugably one of the most anticipated moments of the year as the finale of Gavin & Stacey is set to air on Christmas Day, 5 years after we left Nessa down on one knee proposing to Smithy and now an actor who is set to appear in it has spoken more in detail ahead of the airing.
Adrian Scarborough who was born and raised in Melton Mowbray is well known as his much loved role of Pete in the hit sitcom which is due to air a final 90 minute finale on Christmas Day on BBC One.
Speaking about receiving the script for the first time the ex Brooksby Melton College student said: "I was over-excited but trepidatious as I wanted it to be brilliant…and of course it far exceeded expectations! I sat in bed reading it and cried and laughed and gasped and cheered. I was exhausted by the end and had to have a lie down."
"It’s been wonderful as always to catch up with everyone. The cast of course, but also our amazing crew. We’ve had births, marriages, deaths and a lot of ‘life’ over the course of the show. It’s a precious jewel in all of our lives. We handle it with care."
James Corden on set in September with Rob Brydon (Bryn) and Jo Page (Stacey). Photo: NEMM
Filming for the finale took place in September of this year with much attention focussed about potential storylines but quite rightly the cast are being tight lipped on any potential spoilers.
Instead Adrian, who has appeared in multiple successful TV shows including Chelsea Detective and Killing Eve, focussed on his favourite memories from the show.
He added: "The oven gloves is a thing of beauty. Four men in a kitchen having a life or death discussion. The vows renewal is a miracle of editing as we had giggled non-stop.
My wife gave me some brilliant advice. She said ‘make sure you take time to just look around and take it all in’, so I did a lot of that. It was a bit overwhelming at times, but for a romantic, melancholic fool…it’s why I’m alive!"
While taking time to look around and take it in, did he manage to sneak any props from the set for nostalgtic reasons?
He added: "The props department behave like the Flying Squad. I have ‘obtained’ several rather special props over the years. There’s a particular ring I managed to commandeer…!"
And as an extra treat for Gavin and Stacey fans… An uplifting and touching documentary special which tells the story of one of Britain’s best loved sitcoms as it comes to an end after 17 years. It charts the journey of a little-known sitcom that started life on BBC Three which, with its blend of relatable characters and infectious catchphrases, grew into a must watch show that captivated the hearts of the nation.
Nessa (Ruth Jones), Stacey (Joanna Page), Gwen (Melanie Walters), Bryn (Rob Brydon), Gavin (Mathew Horne) in a new image released by the BBC ahead of the Christmas Day Finale. (Image: BBC/Toffee International Ltd./Tom Jackson)
Featuring unprecedented access to creators James Corden and Ruth Jones as well as the cast and crew as they film the final episode together and they all say goodbye to this much cherished show. We’ll also hear from an array of celebrity fans who have their say on the show’s influence on British society and why they believe Gavin & Stacey the best show on TV.
One of the show's creators Ruth Jones, who plays Nessa in the show added that it was exciting but also sad to be back on set filing it for the last time.
She said: "It was a mixture of excitement, nostalgia and sadness. Sad of course because this is the last time these characters will ever be on screen again, but so exciting to bring them to life again. And nostalgic because we’d be on set with the cast and we’d go down memory lane remembering the early episodes. We often reminisced about Maggie John who’s no longer with us but we felt she was in spirit, especially when we were on Trinity Street.
It’s always so enjoyable to be in the room writing with James. We act out the characters when we write - I love playing Bryn and Stacey and James does a great Pamelarr!"
James Corden and Ruth Jones on set. Photo: NEMM
James Corden, who plays Smithy added: "It felt incredible. I mean for a long time when Ruth and I were writing the show we actually didn’t know if it would ever come to fruition because really what we’ve always done is just write it for ourselves and then figure out if we think it might be good enough for an audience. It just felt so good to be back in a room with Ruth and then thinking we may have happened on a story which might be satisfying."
Gavin & Stacey: The Finale airs at 9pm on Christmas Day on BBC One and iPlayer.
Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell airs at 7pm on New Years Day on BBC One and iPlayer
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