Gavin and Stacey cast now - tragic death, Hollywood fame and 'bitter fallout'
It's been five years since Gavin and Stacey last appeared on our screens - and now the iconic cast is finally back filming again.
It has been announced the beloved BBC sitcom will be returning for another Christmas special this year, after the last episode in 2019 ended on a huge cliffhanger. According to Deadline, James Corden and Ruth Jones have been secretly working on the plans for a brand-new episode and cameras are expected to roll in a few months.
The comedy series, which first aired in 2007, drastically altered the lives of the actors who starred in it. While some of the stars were already well known, others were thrust into the spotlight and became household names. Here, we take a look back at what happened to them - from awkward feuds to Hollywood fame and romances...
Mathew Horne - Gavin Shipman
Mathew Horne played Gavin Shipman (Baby Cow)
Mathew and his wife Celina (Richard Young/REX)Sweet Essex lad Gavin was played by Mathew Horne, who doesn't look like he's aged a day since he was driving up to Barry and enjoying the nightclub foam. Before being cast as Gavin, he appeared in The Catherine Tate Show in a number of roles, most notably as the foul-mouthed Nan's grandson Jamie.
Mathew and co-star James Corden were virtually joined at the hip and one year confessed to spending 263 days together. But their partnership hit stumbling blocks when their comedy sketch show Horne and Corden was slated by critics, while their flop film Lesbian Vampire Killers was slammed.
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Their disastrous presenting role at the Brits put a huge strain on their bromance - with both actors later claiming it was "so poor" they couldn't even watch it back. They went their separate ways amid claims of a bitter falling out and stopped speaking for a few months as Mathew admitted he "retreated" after the backlash.
Mathew declined to appear on James' episode of Life Stories, but in 2016 claimed there was no animosity, saying: "Jealousy isn't something I do - I am not a jealous person. I am thrilled and about the success he is having." The actor went on to appear as the headmaster in Bad Education, Dad's Army: The Missing Episodes and Agatha Raisin.
In December 2018, he was hit by a train following a night out at a pub but miraculously escaped with just a scratch. A friend said it was a "miracle" he was still alive. In September 2021, the actor married set designer Celina Bassili in a beautiful ceremony in Norway.
Joanna Page - Stacey Shipman
Joanna Page played Stacey Shipman (BBC)
Joanna is now a Loose Women panelist (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)Before being cast as bubbly Barry girl Stacey, Joanna Page was best known for playing a nude double alongside Martin Freeman in Love Actually. Joanna's life is slightly different from that of her character, most notably because she hasn't been engaged five times.
Once the show ended, the actress did voice-overs for a number of commercials such as Kingsmill bread, the Carphone Warehouse and Superdrug. Joanna also appeared in Doc Martin, The Syndicate, Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger and as Queen Elizabeth I in the 50th anniversary episode of Doctor Who.
Joanna presents BBC One's Shop Well for Less and joined Loose Women as a regular panelist in 2023. She is married to Emmerdale actor James Thornton, who played John Barton, and they share four children.
James Corden - Smithy
James Corden played Smithy and wrote the show
James with his wife Julia Carey (The Hollywood Reporter via Getty)Not only did he play lovable Smithy, but James Corden also co-wrote Gavin and Stacey with Fat Friends co-star Ruth Jones. As stated above, James tried to build a TV partnership with best pal Mathew Horne and even admitted for a while they might as well have been "one person".
However, the relationship was rumoured to have turned sour after a number of failed projects and they parted ways - with funnyman James going on to front Sky 1's League of Their Own and starred in Doctor Who.
In 2011, Corden was cagey when asked about Horne by Piers Morgan and revealed they only spoke "occasionally" as he discussed the decline of their friendship. "There was lots of horrible stuff about us... If I have one regret, it was we just rushed those things. We never stopped to think about the work enough," Corden reflected.
"We did our own sketch show but the reaction was fierce. It was hard to go through that. We were riding this amazing wave and then it just dropped. In one year we spent 263 days together and we went from that to nothing."
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In 2015, he landed a £10million deal to front The Late Late Show in Hollywood and is known for his Carpool Karaoke sketches with famous faces. He's also starred in the films Into the Woods, Gulliver's Travels and Cats. James now lives in Los Angeles with his wife Julia Carey and their three children.
Ruth Jones - Nessa Jenkins
Ruth Jones played Nessa Jenkins (BBC/GS TV Productions Ltd/Tom Jackson)
Ruth and James have written a new episode (Twitter)Ruth Jones co-wrote the series along with Corden as well as starring as straight-talking fan favourite Nessa. The Little Britain star recorded a version of Islands in the Stream with Rob Brydon as their characters, Nessa and Bryn, which reached number one in the UK charts.
Ruth went on to appear in two BBC period costume dramas, Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Little Dorrit, as well as two episodes of The Street. Then came her next big comedy project, Sky One's Stella which she starred in as the title role and co-wrote multiple episodes.
She had her own chatshow specials, including Ruth Jones' Summer Holiday, Ruth Jones' Easter Treat and Ruth Jones' Christmas Cracker. She also set up a production company with husband David Peet and has written three novels, Never Greener, Us Three and Love Untold.
Melanie Walters - Gwen West
Melanie Walters played Gwen West (Kirsty Pritchard-Hartland)Melanie Walters is one of the only cast members whose career has gone in a very different direction. The Welsh actress played Stacey's kind mum Gwen, who was famously always making omelettes for everyone. Once the show wrapped up, Melanie appeared in Being Human, Casualty and Stella alongside Ruth Jones.
But she turned her focus away from acting and set up Practical Pilates in Swansea to help locals improve their posture. Melanie also lets self-catering holiday rentals on beauty spot the Gower Peninsula, but she was tempted back in front of the cameras in 2019 by Larry Lamb to appear together in the four-part BBC drama Pitching It.
Rob Brydon - Bryn West
Rob Brydon has gone on to achieve huge success (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
He presents Would I Lie to You? on BBC (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)We are all desperate to know what happened on that fishing trip, but we don't think Rob Brydon himself even knows. The Welsh actor was already a well-recognised face before Gavin and Stacey, having starred in Marion and Geoff, Black Books, Supernova and as a traffic warden in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
But he really rose to fame playing Stacey's uncle, Bryn West, who was devoted to his family but had a dark secret with his nephew Jason. Rob's career has gone from strength to strength, taking over as the host of BBC's Would I Lie To You? and presenting The Rob Brydon show and The Guess List.
He appeared as a dwarf in The Huntsmen: Winter's War and has had us all in hysterics alongside Steve Coogan in The Trip, The Trip To Italy and The Trip To Spain. The father-of-four has also presented BBC's Would I Lie to You?, The Rob Brydon show and The Guess List.
Larry Lamb - Mick Shipman
Larry Lamb played Mick Shipman (BBC/GS TV Productions Ltd/Tom Jackson)
He is also best known for Archie Mitchell (BBC)Another acting legend who was already famous before the show, Larry Lamb had been in The New Avengers, Minder, The Bill, Casualty and Spooks. The TV regular then played Gavin's calm and loving dad Mick, who was frequently referred to as being a bit of a player back in the day.
During the same time he was cast as iconic EastEnders villain Archie Mitchell, who was brutally killed off in a murder storyline on Christmas Day 2009. In 2016, he had a successful stint in the I'm A Celebrity jungle and has gone on to work with his real-life son, presenter George Lamb.
Alison Steadman - Pam Shipman
Alison Steadman played Pam Shipman (BBC/GS TV Productions Ltd/Tom Jackson)
Alison has starred in many well-known films (James Shaw/REX/Shutterstock)Another high-profile actress who joined the cast, Alison Steadman, was an Olivier Award-winning theatre star, TV favourite and had been in many films before she was cast as Pam Shipman. Alison first met Ruth and James while playing Betty in Fat Friends and was given the role of Gavin's overbearing mother, who fawned over her "Little Prince".
Once Gavin and Stacey ended, Alison appeared in Lewis, Boomers and alongside John Cleese in Hold the Sunset. In 2021, she starred in The King's Man. Alison is married to actor Michael Elwyn and the couple live in London. She is also an ambassador for London Wildlife Trust and is an avid birdwatcher.
Margaret John - Doris O'Neil
Margaret John played Doris O'Neil (BBC)Possibly the funniest character in the entire show, man-eater Doris was always hooking up with younger men and making suggestive comments to nervous Gavin. Doris was played by BAFTA award-winning actress Margaret John, who has appeared in Coronation Street, Doctor Who, Little Britain, Emmerdale and Last of the Summer Wine.
Sadly, the actress passed away in hospital in 2011. Her final ever role, which was released after her death, was as Old Nan in Game of Thrones. The 2019 Christmas special paid tribute to Margaret by including her in a post-credit dedication featuring a photograph of the actress sat at a drum kit.
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