With her own Gavin & Stacey story to tell, Sarah-Jane Outten is perfectly positioned to ruminate on how one of the most beloved British sitcoms in recent history will finally (maybe) come to an end this Christmas.

As we eagerly await the finale of Gavin & Stacey this Christmas, I, like a lot of people, can’t help but speculate how it will all end. I became a dedicated fan of the show when it started in 2007 – when it happened to mirror my own life perfectly.

I met my now husband, the Essex Boy, just as the show aired. I lived in Cardiff, he in Essex, and we spent the next few years enjoying a long-distance relationship. Like Stacey, I moved there too for a while… and hated it. Eventually, we packed up, moved back to Cardiff and had our happy ever-after. 

However, the show has never really been about Gavin and Stacey: it’s more about the lovable Nessa and Smithy. Indeed, the show was packed with plenty of relatable characters we all got to know and love. If you don’t have an Uncle Bryn in your life, you are sure to know a Pete and Dawn. Over the years, we’ve tucked them into a pocket of our hearts.

With what’s slated to be the final episode arriving this Christmas, courtesy of G&S creators Ruth Jones and James Corden, will the characters they portray get their happy ever after? And what about the rest of them? Let’s assess the options…

The previous special episode left us on the ultimate cliffhanger as Nessa got on one knee to propose to Smithy. So, when we settle down on Christmas Day this time around, stuffed with turkey and sipping on Baileys, do we want a predictable ending to an unpredictable love story?

Just for fun, I asked my Instagram followers how they would like the 90-minute special to end. I asked if they wanted to see Nessa and Smithy tie the knot, or if would they rather finally find out what happened on that fishing trip: 8% said they didn’t want Nessa and Smithy to tie the knot, maybe indicating they do indeed think that’s too predictable; 25% want to know what happened on the fishing trip; and a whopping 67% want to see Nessa and Smithy walk down the aisle.

I wasn’t surprised by the results: we love Nessa and Smithy, and a lifetime of KFC together would be ‘tidy’. Still, maybe we need to prepare for the unexpected. Will Pam and Mick be divorced? Will Doris come back from the dead? Will Gavin and Stacey still be an item? Will Dave Coaches return and win back Nessa’s heart? Or has Ness finally found love with a random celebrity…?

Without a doubt, the script is one of the best-kept secrets of 2024. Despite filming in our beloved Barry, no secrets have been given away. Larry Lamb, who plays Gavin’s dad Mick, recently suggested that the finale wasn’t set at Christmas – and that’s the biggest insider clue so far. 

If you’re wondering how I would like to see it end, I want Nessa and Smithy to leave us with the love story we’ve craved. Despite their love/hate relationship, at the end of the day and when all is said and done, love should always win. Do I want to see that more than finding out what the heck happened on the fishing trip? I’m not sure… 

Obviously, all we can do is just wait and see what’s occurring. Let’s hope that the final Gavin & Stacey is the gift we’ve all been wishing for and not the Bounty from a Celebrations tub.

Gavin & Stacey: The Finale will air on Christmas Day on BBC One and iPlayer.

Info: here

words SARAH-JANE OUTTEN