Gavin & Stacey fans are experiencing mixed emotions as the Christmas special of the BBC series draws near, which is set to air in less than a week’s time. They’re thrilled about the return of the Ruth Jones and James Corden comedy after a hiatus of five years, but also disheartened by the revelation from the co-creators that this instalment is intended to be the grand finale.
Nonetheless, appearing on Loose Women on Friday, December 20, Larry Lamb, one of the key actors, fanned the flames of speculation about a potential revival in the future.
Whilst engaging with the panelists on the ITV programme, Kaye Edwards questioned him regarding whether the episode to be broadcast on Christmas Day would genuinely be the last glimpse audiences get of Gavin & Stacey.
Larry, who portrays the endearing character Mick Shipman, caught the panel off-guard with his response: “I get asked this but every time we finish it’s always the last one! It’s like some old rock ‘n’ roller who’s going off for his last world tour you know – he’s been doing the last world tour for 40 years.”
He continued: “I just can’t see that the golden goose is going to get killed. Sooner or later someone’s going to be knocking on the door saying ‘do you know, do you think you could do another one?'” reports the Mirror.
The 77-year-old also shared insights on the show about the cast’s emotional reaction upon delving into the fresh script.
He said: “I knew from the moment I read it, this is something special. You’re going to get thrown up into the air, over and over again. It’s absolutely extraordinary.”
Larry revealed: “I sat with Alison (Steadman), we were side by side and by the end of it the pair of us were weeping.”
This heartfelt admission came shortly after his Welsh co-star Joanna Page appeared as a guest presenter on BBC’s Morning Live. Despite her new role, she firmly stated that there would be no further episodes following the Christmas Day special.
Joanna, known for her role as Stacey, Mick’s daughter-in-law, shared: “It is the last last ever one, it has been so emotional, just saying goodbye to everybody. When I read the script and I saw that my first… I nearly, you nearly got me to say something then! But I saw that I’m sitting with Ruth, she’s playing the mouth organ and I’m in the rickshaw at the back, I was just like ‘oh we are back with a bang! ‘ this is brilliant.”
Loose Women is on ITV1 weekdays at 12.30pm and on ITVX