We've done the last rewrite, says James Corden

The script for the  Gavin And Stacey finale is complete, James Corden has revealed.

He said that he and co-writer Ruth Jones put the finishing touches to the last rewrite on Thursday – then had a drink to celebrate.

Speaking to Chris Evans on his Virgin Radio breakfast show, Corden said he feels ‘very emotional’ about the comedy ending.

‘We will never write anything that Pam says again,’ he lamented. ‘We will never come up with an interesting thing that Bryn has done.

But on the bright side he said: ‘To even have the luxury of deciding to end it and to be in a position where people still care. It's inconceivable to us – all of it.’

The show will wrap on Christmas Day, ending the saga of the Shipman and West families 17 years after the series was first broadcast. Gavin And Stacey originally aired from  2007 to 2010 before returning in 2019 for a festive special that ended on a cliff-hanger when Nessa, played by Jones, got down on one knee to propose to Corden’s Smithy.

Corden added that ‘rewrites are harder than any writing’, explaining: ‘Writing is really fun because you can just go "anything can happen"

‘But when you rewrite stuff, you're dealing with a lot of logistics and "well, look, we might not be able to shoot that, or this needs to be in this location, is there any way this can change? And, frankly, it's too long."

‘What we have been doing the last few weeks really is just trying to make it as economical as possible. And we finished it [the script] yesterday.’

 Matthew Horne, and Joanna Page will return in the title roles, with an ensemble that also includes  Alison Steadman, Larry Lamb, Melanie Walters, Rob Brydon and Julia Davis.

Published: 20 Jul 2024