James Corden has revealed Gavin and Stacey "can't carry on" after the finale and it will become "very, very clear" why once fans have watched the last episode on Christmas Day.

The hit BBC sitcom, which first aired back in 2007, last appeared on our TV screens on Christmas Day 2019.

The special episode ended on a cliffhanger with Nessa (Ruth Jones) proposing to Smithy (Corden).

Earlier this year Corden and Jones - who are also the show's co-creators and writers - revealed Gavin and Stacey would be returning for one final episode on Christmas Day in 2024.

James Corden reveals Gavin and Stacey 'can't carry on'

Corden and Jones joined Fleur East, Matt Haslam and James Barr for a Hits Radio Breakfast show Christmas special, which will air at 10 am on Christmas Day.

The Gavin and Stacey stars spoke to East, Haslam, and Barr about the finale and why the Christmas Day episode will definitely be the last.

Corden said: "It can’t carry on, it genuinely can’t. And you’ll realise that there’s certain moments that happen in the episode, which make it very, very clear that the show cannot carry on.

"We as writers wouldn’t know how to carry on that story. 

"We feel very, very proud of it. We’ve really given it everything we could have given it.

Corden explained there was a lot of pressure around making the final Gavin and Stacey episode and making sure they got it right.

He said: "It’s all come with quite a lot of pressure, the idea of being so definite and announcing that this is it, it’s going to end. And trying to get it right.

"Trying to serve the characters, serve the audience. And make sure that everybody feels satisfied by it.

"And I think right now in this moment, of course there’s nerves. You hope that people just feel that this is the right way to say goodbye to these characters that have been in our lives for so long."

James Corden tight-lipped about Gavin and Stacey storyline

Gavin and Stacey: The Finale is set to pick up five years after the Nessa proposal back in 2019.

All the main characters are set to return for the finale including Gavin (Mathew Horne), Stacey (Joanna Page), Pam (Alison Steadman), Mick (Larry Lamb), Uncle Bryn (Rob Brydon) and Gwen (Melanie Walters), along with Smithy (Corden) and Nessa (Jones).


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Corden revealed recently that the Gavin and Stacey finale will delve deeper into Nessa's "chequered life".

But outside of that, he remains tight-lipped about what fans can expect from the last episode of Gavin and Stacey.

Corden said: "We can tell you it isn’t set at Christmas. And it’s five years on from where we left off.

"We were running out of Christmas music that we could use!"

He did however add that the infamous fishing trip "certainly comes up" during the finale.


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When to watch the Gavin and Stacey finale

Gavin And Stacey: The Finale will air on BBC One from 9 pm on Christmas Day and will also be available on BBC iPlayer.

The documentary Gavin And Stacey: A Fond Farewell will be shown at 7 pm on New Year’s Day on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.