Gavin & Stacey may have aired its final episode on Christmas Day, delivering what fans have described as “the perfect ending” with Nessa and Smithy’s long-awaited marriage – but it’s not quite the end for Nessa.
Despite Ruth Jones and James Corden, the co-creators of the hit BBC comedy, confirming there will be no further episodes, Nessa portrayed by Ruth is set for a return.
The Welsh actress is set to don Nessa’s iconic black bob wig and leather skirt once more, this time to present Radio 4’s Shipping Forecast in celebration of its 100th anniversary on the BBC, which will take place on New Year’s Day, according to the Daily Mail.
Ruth commented: ‘Nessa has got quite a colourful history and one of her jobs was on the high seas. The Shipping Forecast was always very important and useful to her.”
In the BBC series’ final moments, Smithy, played by James, halted Nessa’s return to maritime work by dashing to Southampton Dock. He popped the question to Nessa, and viewers were treated to a touching montage of their nuptials, culminating in the couple achieving their fairy-tale conclusion.
The finale garnered the highest Christmas Day television ratings since 2008, drawing an average audience of 12.3 million. This marks the first instance of a Gavin & Stacey character making a comeback, despite the creators’ decision against penning another instalment of the popular show.
A new documentary about the beloved series, titled Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell, is set to air on New Year’s Day at 7pm. There is also a book in the pipeline for next Autumn, entitled When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between: A Story Of Love And Friendship, reports Wales Online.
Although James Corden has closed the door on a series comeback, he has expressed a desire to collaborate with Ruth Jones once more. He commented: “We don’t know if we have another idea in us but I can honestly say that if we didn’t attempt to try and even explore the idea of writing together then I’d be so disappointed.”
Meanwhile, 2024 marks a century since the Shipping Forecast first broadcasted on January 1, 1924 as Weather Shipping, before transferring to the BBC the following year. Actors Julie Hesmondhalgh, Stephen Fry and Adrian Dunbar and sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur also commemorate the inaugural airing of the Met Office’s forecast on the BBC in October 1925.
These celebrities will feature throughout New Year’s Day, recounting historical shipping forecasts and their fond recollections. Radio 4 controller Mohit Bakaya stated: “The Shipping Forecast is one of our national treasures. So I’m delighted that we are cracking a bottle against the hull to launch 100 years of the Shipping Forecast on the BBC with a special schedule of programming on New Year’s Day.”
Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell is on BBC One on New Year’s Day at 7pm and the final episode is available on BBC iPlayer