Ruth Jones and James Corden's comedy smashes viewing records

More than half the Welsh population have watched the finale episode of Gavin & Stacey, the BBC has revealed.

The 1.8million viewers represent 59 per cent of the population – and make the show the most watched TV moment in the nation since at least 2002, surpassing the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony peak of 1.4million.

Across the whole UK, ratings for Ruth Jones and James Corden’s comedy now stand at 20.9 million, or 32 per cent of the total population.

Speaking in Cardiff, the BBC’s director-general, Tim Davie, said: ‘Nothing demonstrates the BBC’s ability to bring people together like the extraordinary success of Gavin & Stacey.’

In Wales you are also twice as likely than other Bris to have watched the finale at least twice. Across the UK, 2.8miliion have watched the Christmas Day episode more than once, equivalent to 4 per cent of the population. In Wales, the corresponding figure is 245,000, or 8 per cent.

The figures also reveal that the making-of documentary, Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell is the best performing single BBC Wales programme on record with 8.7million views across the UK. 

Rhuanedd Richards, director of BBC Cymru Wales, said: ‘I’m incredibly proud to see the success of Gavin & Stacey, The Finale and our documentary, both across the UK and with the record-breaking numbers here in Wales. 

‘Gavin & Stacey, which is so synonymous with Wales, has become one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time. It’s a programme that we as a nation feel so strongly connected to, and these figures certainly reflect that.’

Published: 5 Feb 2025