James Corden on whether he and Ruth Jones knew Smithy’s answer when writing Gavin & Stacey cliffhanger

Virgin Radio

19 Jul 2024, 11:17

When Gavin & Stacey returns for one last time this Christmas, we will surely finally discover the outcome of the massive cliffhanger from the previous episode in 2019. 

Yes, we’ll have been waiting five long years to find out whether (spoiler alert if you’ve haven’t seen the 2019 Christmas special) Smithy accepted Nessa’s marriage proposal. But did the writers already know what the outcome would be when they wrote the scene?

Joining the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with webuyanycar, James Corden, who co-created/co-wrote the beloved sitcom with Ruth Jones, said: “We didn't know anything at all. We never thought, ‘Oh, I wonder what he says?’ I don't think we ever had that conversation.”

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The Tony, BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning actor plays Smithy in the sitcom, alongside Jones’ Nessa. He continued: “I remember saying to Ruth, ‘I feel like, if we end it like this, we might have to reveal it in some way down the line.’ And Ruth was like, ‘Well, let's, let's burn that bridge when we get to it!’

“We always knew that maybe it would be unsatisfying somehow to leave it there.”

Telling Chris: “We talk all the time, and we always have, but rarely about the show. And then it was only kind of last summer, actually, that it was like, ‘Look, I think if we're going to do this…’ It was 10 years between the end of the series and that special, and then this will be five years from the last special to this. And that felt like probably the right time to wrap it up. One last one last ride into the sunset.”

During his time at Virgin Radio today (19th July), James spoke about how he and Ruth created the show in the first place (read all about it here), and also recalled the night before episode one aired. “BBC Three put episodes one and two back to back,” he said. “I remember calling Ruth the day before and saying, ‘If you could go back now, what percentage of the show would you change?’ 

“And she was like, ‘I don't know, seven percent?’ and I was like, ‘And I'm six’. And I was like, ‘Well, then it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what people say about it. It doesn't matter how many people watch it, because today, before anyone's seen it, we wouldn't change it, so therefore, it's exactly what it should be.’”

The show, of course, went on to achieve huge success and remains one of the all-time most popular comedies in the history of British telly. James reflected: “I've been lucky enough to be in some things that have done really well, and I've been in things that have been complete disasters, but you've got to be really careful, I think, to judge what success and failure is, because you could do something that is a huge smash, and it could represent a time in your life that is miserable. 

“You know, a friend could have been told they have a terrible illness, you lose a family member, a divorce, you could be going through something terrible and yet be experiencing what someone could say is huge success, and at the same time, you could be doing something that is awful and derided, but it might represent a great moment in your life. So you really have to separate what success is, and only see it as your own growth.”

He continued: “The great thing about making a show for the BBC is it's not going to get cancelled and pulled off the air. At this point, shows would go out in America or whatever, a sitcom might launch, and then their intention is to make 25 episodes and two episodes in, it's just taken off the air. It's gone. It's done, even when they've got stuff shot, you know. 

“And for us, we were like, ‘Well, we're gonna get to tell this story.’ I remember we used to say this, ‘Maybe there'll be one person who goes, I really love that show.’ And that was enough.”

The actor and writer added: “It's a pretty great ride, really.”

Read the big Gavin & Stacey update that James told Chris here.

The final episode of Gavin & Stacey will air on BBC One on Christmas Day.

Tony, BAFTA and Emmy Award winning actor James Corden stars in new political play, The Constituent, which runs at The Old Vic until Saturday 10TH August. Tickets are available now via oldvictheatre.com.

For more great interviews listen to The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with webuyanycar weekdays from 6:30am on Virgin Radio, or catch up on-demand here.