L-R: Gavin, Stacey, Smithy and Nessa reports #50 oh! what’s occurring? heat takes a look at the most famous show ever to come out of Barry Island

t’s hard to believe, but it’s ten years Mathew Horne and Joanna Page, and gave families and sets of friends. It was Gavin And since James Corden and Ruth Jones Larry Lamb, who played Gavin’s dad Mick, actually based on a real couple, whose brought Gavin & Stacey into our a role that was the total opposite of his evil Welsh wedding James attended, then lives. A decade ago, the majority EastEnders character, Archie Mitchell. told his close friend Ruth Jones all about. Iof the Great British public had no idea Reflecting on the show, James tellsheat , James explains, “The wedding was where Barry Island was, had never heard “Gavin & Stacey changed everything, on Barry Island, and Ruth’s from Cardiff anyone ask, “Oh, what’s occurring?” really, for all of us involved in the show. and knows the area quite well. I told her Stacey – nor realised that eating a corn on the cob In your career, you hope that you’ll have I didn’t think anybody had shown a could be considered sexual foreplay. something that resembles a hit. You don’t wedding on TV like the one I had been to.” Without the show, James Corden might ever think that something could mean James based his own character, Smithy, not have become a £10m global superstar as much to people as it does right now.” on a friend of his cousin. Other characters – and would Carpool Karaoke even exist The show followed the relationship of in the show are inspired by people James 10 Years On without Smithy’s epic Band Aid singalong Essex lad Gavin Shipman and Welsh bird and Ruth met in the hotel bar during the in the Christmas special? Gavin & Stacey Stacey West, who navigate the difficult filming of ITV drama,Fat Friends. Ruth created stars of its cast, including leads path of blending two very different had a clear vision of how she wanted her

www.heatworld.com 3-9 June 2017 3-9 June 2017 www.heatworld.com reports where are they now? Ten years ago, they were a bunch of little-known stars hoping for their big showbiz break – and now look at them!

Adrian Scarborough and Julia Davis as volatile couple Pete and Dawn

one went out, going, ‘Oh God, here we go,’ and having no idea what people were going to think. We were so excited when we heard 500,000 people had watched it. It’s flown James corden (Smithy) by really. I didn’t expect people to still be What’s he up to? Oh, only bossing US TV watching it, and it’s a real compliment that by Carpool Karaoke-ing with A-listers on The Late, Late Show. He’s also hosted the they do. I think because it’s still being shown Grammys and has a movie career, lending The Gavin & Stacey cast: one, big James and Ruth with on channels like Gold, it feels like it’s still his voice to last year’s Trolls and happy family their TV BAFTAs very current. People’s kids who were toddlers appearing in Ocean’s 8 next year. when it first aired are now watching it for the first time. It’s a bit of a mystery, really, Alison Steadman and character Nessa to behave, saying, “We used Larry Lamb played as to why it still appeals.” to sit in the bar and look around. There was “little prince” Gavin’s James adds, “It feels in one sense like it always a function going on, and we’d pick doting ma and pa was yesterday, and in another sense like out characters that might be at Gavin and it was a lifetime ago. I got quite emotional

Stacey’s wedding, and improvise what they when I heard that it had been a decade #53 might say. We had an idea that there would since the first episode went out.” #52 be this best friend who, at every wedding There’s been constant speculation over Mat Horne (Gavlar) Mat hasn’t been off telly sinceGavin & she goes to, ends up getting really drunk whether the show will ever return, with James Stacey, appearing in Bad Education (TV and singing Wild Thing.” telling heat, “It’s incredibly humbling when and film version) andDeath In Paradise. The pair had originally planned to make anybody mentions that they’d love it to come Oh, and he voices Dating In The Dark, too. Gavin & Stacey a one-off film, with Ruth back.” However, Ruth says, “I just don’t saying, “When the BBC got our proposal, understand why people still keep asking, even they said, ‘We don’t have a slot for a one-hour though we’ve said time and time again that it’s special. Why don’t you chart their relationship not happening. It’s a huge compliment that and go back to when they met, and culminate people want more. James and I always talk the end of the series in their wedding?’” James got ex Sheridan about where the characters would be right Smith a part as his The rewritten proposal for the first series arsey little sister now, and talk about bits that really made us was so good, that when the BBC commissioning laugh in the series. It’s more enjoyable with editor at the time was reading it on the train, a bit of distance – it’s almost like watching Joanna Page (Stacey) she completely missed her stop. Ruth. They worked with Alison Steadman, her family cameos. She revealed, “My nephew Year’s Day in 2010 got 10.25million viewers. a show someone else has made. Nessa still After the show, Jo went on to appear The roles of Gavin and Stacey were cast who played Pamela Shipman, on Fat Friends. Zakk played the little boy on Nessa’s knee in In the last ten years, over a quarter of British occasionally materialises for charity events, in Bedlam, The Syndicate and Doctor Who, but also lends her voice to the kids’ through auditions, and Mathew and Joanna Julia Davis – aka Dawn – had starred Santa’s Grotto. He’s this really tall 17 year old adults have watched the show, which is still I love getting the kit back on. I do miss her. cartoon Poppy Cat (yes, she plays the were chosen because of the amazing chemistry with Ruth in Nighty Night, while now. I can’t get my head around that.” regularly repeated on Gold. And Gavin & “But I just don’t see how a new series can cat) and, weirdly, MTV’s Spring Break they shared. And there was more chemistry her husband Pete, played by The show lasted for three series, Stacey has been a big hit with celebrities, too happen. James is in the States now, and we see With Grandad. between Mat and James, who went on to have Adrian Scarborough, had been and 20 episodes – including each other about once an IRL bromance. The pair hosted the BRITs in Alan Bennett’s play and film, a Christmas Special. It scooped every couple of years, together, starred in movie Lesbian Vampire The History Boys, with James. two BAFTAs – winning the ‘Gavin & Stacey changed so even if we wanted Killers, and had their own sketch show. In fact, James cast most of Audience Award and Best Comedy everything for us’ – James to, I don’t see how Mat tells heat that the cast still feel just as his History Boys co-stars Performance for James Corden. we could physically. affectionate about the show as the viewers. in roles as Gavin’s friends But Gavin & Stacey wasn’t – Tom Jones, Noel Gallagher and Rio “On the other hand,” she adds, “Never “Like many of the people that saw Gavin & and his then-girlfriend, a huge hit to begin with. When the Ferdinand are fans. Former Prime Minister say never.” Stacey, I hold it very dear to my heart,” he says. Sheridan Smith, first episode aired on BBC3 David Cameron announced that he regularly And finally, of course, everyone who is a fan of “A family was born, and I have so many fond played Smithy’s sister, in May 2007, barely half a watched the show in 10 Downing Street, and the show is dying to know what really happened Ruth Jones (Nessa) memories of that time with such an amazing Rudie. And Rudie was million watched – but less it got the royal seal of approval, too, when on the infamous fishing trip? James jokes, Not only did Ruth get her own chat show cast of people, who are now friends for life.” named after James’ than a year later, more Prince William told Sheridan Smith he loved “I have no idea. I don’t know, Ruth doesn’t after she finished playing Nessa inG&S , Many of the characters were already James own sister, Ruth, than 1.7million were her in the show when she collected her OBE. know. And if we don’t know, I can guarantee she also created, wrote and starred in The part of (possibly Welsh comedy Stella. The sixth series and Ruth’s friends, and they created roles who had a cameo gay) Uncle Bryn was tuning in. After moving Reminiscing about the show a decade you no one else does. I don’t ever know if we’ll is currently in production. with them in mind. Uncle Bryn was written on the show, too. written for Rob Brydon to BBC1, the final on, Ruth tells heat, “It makes me feel old! ever find out… it might be fun to explore it one

for Rob Brydon, who had been to school with Ruth Jones also gave episode on New mirrorpix I remember texting James before episode day, though.” n Kelly Allen

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