‘I feel liberated playing Nessa’
Ruth Jones on the return of her hit show and reviving her favourite character
She’s the co-creator of smashhit TV series Gavin & Stacey, plus the well-loved gang of characters who appear in it. And Ruth Jones says her character – the legendary Nessa Jenkins – is just as much fun to play as she is to watch.
Ruth, 53 – who co-wrote the BBC show with James Corden, 41, who plays Smithy – says, “I adore Nessa, because when I’m playing her I feel so brave and at ease.
“When we were filming in Barry, lots of people would come and watch. Sometimes it was a bit much. But rather than go out there as Ruth Jones and say, ‘Would you mind ever so much just being a bit quiet?’, I was able to go out [as Nessa] and go, “Oh! We’re trying to film in there, have some respect.” I find it so liberating.”
SECRET TEXTS
The award-winning sitcom – about the romance between an Essex boy and a girl from South Wales and their families coming together – returns to our screens on Christmas Day after a nine-year absence.
In the final scene, which aired in 2010, Gavin (Matt Horne) and a pregnant
Stacey (Joanna Page) were sitting on the seafront at Barry Island, alongside best mates Nessa and Smithy, who earlier in the episode had dramatically halted Nessa’s wedding.
Fast-forward to 2019, and the whole clan are gathered together once again to celebrate Christmas in Barry, with a stressed-out Uncle Bryn (Rob Brydon) in charge of the turkey and trimmings.
Ruth reveals a comeback episode had been in the works for years, but it took them almost a decade to make it happen because she was conscious of not wanting to disappoint fans.
She says, “A little thing called geography was definitely a problem!
James and I live on different continents, and we do have different schedules.
“But more than anything, we wanted to be sure that, if we did bring it back, it was good. We didn’t want to risk people going, ‘Oh, it’s not like it was’.”
She reveals, “James and I have always secretly texted each other ideas for characters – a line for Pam, a situation for Bryn. We once changed all the lyrics to the song Hello by Adele, and we made it into a Welsh version that started, ‘Alright?’”
FAMILY ATMOSPHERE
Since the end of the last series, the cast have gone down different paths, with James moving to Hollywood to front his own show, The Late Late Show With James Corden.
Ruth says, “When we all turned up to rehearsals, it was just like a family getting back together again. The atmosphere was just really good fun, all the time. We were all together for two weeks, and it went so smoothly. I love them all.
“And I absolutely love
James. We can argue, don’t get me wrong – we have a very brotherly-sisterly relationship. But our friendship at the heart of it is so strong.
I’m so proud of the journey we’ve been on together.”
CLIFFHANGER
The announcement of the Christmas one-off sent fans into meltdown – and, with the episode reportedly ending on a cliffhanger, viewers will no doubt be desperate for another instalment.
Ruth adds, “At the moment, there is no plan for more. But will there be...? Obviously, there is room for it to move on. So all I’ll say for now is, who knows?!”
● The Gavin & Stacey
Christmas Special will air Christmas Day on BBC1 at 8.30pm