James Corden has declared Gavin and Stacey ‘cannot carry on’ ahead of the final ever episode.
The comedy series first hit screens in 2007 and followed Mathew Horne’s Gavin Shipman and Joanna Page’s Stacey West relationship as their families – from Essex and Barry Island– got to know each other.
The show, which also starred creators Ruth Jones and James Corden as Nessa and Smithy, left fans with a cliffhanger with an unanswered proposal during the 2019 Christmas special.
Next week the last episode will air, with James previously teasing it would be ‘hard to watch’, while Ruth ‘guaranteed we will definitely not be coming back’ after this.
He’s now again made a statement that might leave fans heartbroken.
‘It can’t carry on, it genuinely can’t,’ he said.
‘And you’ll realise that there’s certain moments that happen in the episode, which make it very, very clear that the show cannot carry on.
‘We as writers wouldn’t know how to carry on that story. We feel very, very proud of it. We’ve really given it everything we could have given it,’ he added when speaking to Fleur, James and Matt for a Hits Radio Christmas special.
Speaking about working on the finale, James said it ‘came with a lot of pressure…the idea of being so definite and announcing that this is it, it’s going to end’.
He added he felt responsibility to ‘get it right, serve the characters, serve the audience and make sure everybody feels satisfied by it’.
He continued: ‘And I think right now in this moment, of course there’s nerves. You hope that people just feel that this is the right way to say goodbye to these characters that have been in our lives for so long.’
Although he continued to stay coy on the show’s storyline, James did reveal the Christmas special wasn’t actually set during the festive season.
However, the BBC did recently provide fans with an idea of what would unfold, teasing: ‘In Barry, Bryn’s packing the Picasso in readiness for a trip to Essex.
‘Soon enough, Gavin, Stacey, and the rest of their family and friends are seen in high spirits with another get together at Pam and Mick’s house.
‘This time it looks like Bryn will be giving limbo a go. Clearly, Pam and Mick are playing host this time around, but why are they partying?’
It was also revealed that in Billericay Pam is ‘stressing out at the prospect of playing hostess, not helped by a newly retired Mick practising his golf swings in the living room and there have been more ups and downs in Pete and Dawn’s relationship’.
Gavin and Stacey: The Finale will air at 9pm on Christmas Day on BBC One and iPlayer. The documentary Gavin and Stacey: A Fond Farewell will be shown at 7pm on New Year’s Day on BBC One and iPlayer.
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