No.1 FOR TELLY + No.1 FOR TELLY MY GAVIN & STACEY CHRISTMAS MIRACLE Ruth: We were so lucky to reunite cast
RUTH Jones says it is a Christmas miracle that she managed to reunite the cast of Gavin & Stacey.
The star, 53, and pal James Corden, 41, wrote the script for a festive special before they knew if everyone would be up for it.
Making it happen meant convincing stars including Joanna Page, 42, and Mathew Horne, 41, to sign up.
Ruth told the Daily Star Sunday: “We had so many factors to take into consideration. James gave up his summer holiday to come over to the UK, and then we had to find out if everybody was available.
“Everybody has gone on to all these great things, so getting everybody’s availability was a big thing.
“James and I contacted half the cast to ask if they’d be interested in doing it. It was a really lovely phone call to make. Thankfully, they all said yes. Thank God they all did, because I don’t know what we would have done if they hadn’t. We’d written the script by then.
“It was a miracle they were all available. We managed to find two-and-a-half weeks where everybody could pretty much commit to it. We were so lucky.”
Other stars who agreed to return include Rob Brydon, 54, Alison Steadman, 73, and Larry Lamb, 72.
The new episode, which will be shown on Christmas Day on BBC One, comes a decade after the sitcom last aired.
Ruth said: “Ever since it finished, James and I have always secretly texted ideas for characters…a line for Pam or a situation for Bryn or a new job for Nessa. One time I wrote the entire lyrics for Adele’s Hello and made the Barry version. We were always going back and forth with little ideas.
“We wanted to be sure that if we did bring it back, it would be good. We didn’t want to risk people going, ‘Oh, it’s not like it was.’
“We wanted to pay tribute to what the series was, but also bring it into the present day.”
The Christmas special is likely to spark calls from fans for more.
BBC chiefs have put it at the heart of their festive schedule and 10million of us are expected to watch it.
Ruth let slip that the story is left open, meaning there could be another instalment.
She said: “At this moment there is no plan, but I think obviously there is room for it to move on.”
She added: “James and I would like to write something other than Gavin & Stacey at some point.”
THERE’S a lot of hype about the return of Gavin & Stacey, so the stakes are high.
But fans will love the Christmas special – even more than they are expecting to.
The gags come thick and fast and there are some really touching moments.
Writers Ruth Jones and James Corden perfectly capture the ups and downs of a family Christmas. All the characters are so beautifully observed that we can all recognise someone we know. Having Alison Steadman back as busybody Pam is the perfect festive treat. Gavin & Stacey hasn’t lost any of its charm and this is arguably the best episode yet. As soon as it’s shown on Christmas Day, millions of viewers are going to start badgering Jones and Corden for more.