Off The Telly - Gavin & Stacey - Finale Special!

Episode Date: January 8, 2025

In this special episode Nat and Jo are catching up about the Christmas special everyone has been talking about - Gavin & Stacey: The Finale. Nat finally gets to quiz Jo about it now we all know what happened, and Jo's brought in her mate Melanie Walters who plays Gwen to give us the goss on Gwen's new boyfriend Dave Coaches.What was it like on the last day ever on set? How was it filming with paparazzi everywhere? And which character did Jo have to be reminded was an important part of the family?You can also listen to and watch our first Gavin & Stacey special celebrating the story so far on the BBC Sounds YouTube channel.You can watch all of Gavin & Stacey, including The Finale, on BBC iPlayer, and you can check out the behind the scenes documentary Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell on BBC iPlayer.Off the Telly - What they can’t stop watching, what they definitely aren’t going to bother with, new releases and comforting classics – TV is timeless and no telly is out of bounds. As well as having a natter about what’s on TV, they share backstage goss from the world of telly, whilst also cracking up about the more humbling moments in their lives. Self-confessed TV addicts and stars of two of the biggest shows on our screens, EastEnders and Gavin and Stacey, Natalie and Joanna are the perfect companions to see what’s occurring on and off the telly.Get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to 03306 784704.Hosts: Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page Producer: Georgia Keating Executive Producer: Richard Morris Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts Production Co-ordinator: Becky Carewe-Jeffries Sounds Editor: Arlie Adlington Music by MCassoOff The Telly is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Sounds.

BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. Listeners, if you want to know when a new episode of Off The Telly has dropped, make sure you've subscribed to Off The Telly on BBC Sounds and have push notifications turned on in your phone settings. What are push notifications? Well, it's dead easy, Jo, right? I'll show you how to do it later. It basically means that as soon as a new episode drops, it'll appear on your phone.

Oh, that's clever. I like that. Well, if I can manage to do it, then you guys at home can too. And then you won't miss any episodes of Off the Telly. New episodes drop every Wednesday on BBC Sounds. And now I think it's time for this week's episode you lucky lucky things enjoy Happy New Year! Happy New Year darling happy 2025. 2025 do you know normally I'm slightly scared of the new year starting but 2025 sounds nice it. It's going to be a cracker.

It is. Oh, I'll tell you what was a cracker. Go on. Watching you on the bake off. For starters, right, I would just like to say how lovely you looked. And I really liked the red scrunchie in your hair. Thank you. I thought you looked absolutely gorgeous.

And I was really impressed. Was you really? I was really impressed. For starters, I can't believe how much gingerbread you did in that. I don't even know if it was actually gingerbread. It was really impressed. Was you really? I was really impressed. For starters, I can't believe how much gingerbread you did in that. I don't even know if it was actually gingerbread. It was gingerbread. There were so many different types of biscuits. Yeah.

That was amazing. That flipping tree. I am laughing at the figures. But you were flipping good. And they said they wanted your recipe. For the Yule Log. Brilliant. I had a really good time.

I'm pleased you enjoyed it. Oh. It was really, really good. We've both been on the telly quite a lot over Christmas. We have, haven't we? Yeah. And we have got a very, very, very special episode for everybody today. Very exciting show.

Who's joining us? Oh, the gorgeous Melanie Walters who plays Gwen, my mum in Gavin and Stacey. The omelette queen. The omelette queen. The omelette queen herself. And after the shock, I think she had the best episode she's ever had as well. Me too, me too. So I'm so, so honoured that we're talking to her because Gwen came into her own. She did.

She's having a love affair. She got to give it straight back to Uncle Bryn. Oh my God, what about when he goes feasting on scraps? Yes, I love that bit so much. Give it straight back to Uncle Bryn. Yeah. Oh, my God. What about when he goes feasting on scraps? Yes. I love that bit so much. I love filming that scene with her. Absolutely loved it.

There was one bit at the end, right, of doing that scene where we find out she's carrying on while she's, you know, having a relationship with Dave. And I remember standing there next to Mel, and it's when Dave was just about to say actually what happened on the fishing trip. And you don't see it because you can only see like um our faces but I remember we both just instinctively just held hands with each other and it was just a really lovely moment because I love her so much it was full of lovely moments for 90 minutes yeah I didn't want it to end oh and a lot of the population absolutely adored it we got lots

of voice notes from all of our listeners later that we'll get into so today's ep is our gavin and stacy special part two where we catch up about the finale and i can finally quiz joe about the special now we all know what happens so exciting so our first Gavin and Stacey special was all about the Gavin and Stacey story so far and we chatted with James Corden, Adrian Scarborough, Robert Wilford and our gorgeous director Christine Gurnan if you are bereft of Gavin and Stacey like me please go and give it a listen on sounds if you haven't already and it's also up on YouTube for you to have a watch. But now I think we are going to welcome in lovely Mel. Yay! Welcome to our podcast.

We want to say hello and welcome to the absolutely fantastic Melanie Walters. Hello, you too Mel. My beautiful mum. It's an honour to have you and an honour to meet you. Honestly, you too. My beautiful mum. It's an honour to have you and an honour to meet you. Honestly, I'm so excited. Happy New Year to you both. Happy New Year. I'm very excited to be here because I have to say this is my first ever podcast.

Podcast virgin. Podcast virgin. Is there a tune that can go with that? Well, I'm surprised that we've got you. You've only just finished doing Panto, haven't you? Literally just finished doing Panto. So that's why my voice is about sort of 12 octaves lower than... It does actually sound a bit lower.

Who were you playing? I was playing Fairy Camembert. Oh. As you do. As you do in Beauty and the Beast. Right. Because it's set in France. Oh, very good.

Did you have to do a French accent? I didn't have to do a French accent. No, no, no. But the fairy... The fairy is all in verse, isn't it? All in coupling, rhyme... It can be. I've been doing it for quite some time. Rhyming couplets.

That's what I meant. Yeah. Mine, not so much. I did a little bit of rewriting, so it was just comfortable for me and, you know, not too difficult to remember and then you forget the rhyme. I did a long panto and it was panto and it was rhyming couplets i'll never ever ever do one again i just think it's just too much stress it was the worst christmas of my life great uh where were hang on grays in essex yeah so it wasn't a very large one or what have you. And lovely audiences and what have you.

But I'm a really big Christmas fan now. And you don't get to have Christmas, do you? You don't. So Mel, this year you got home for Christmas. This year, yes, got home for Christmas. And this year, because I didn't, because Western Supermaremares like two hours from swansea i actually risked not going back on christmas night oh yeah i was able to watch this was the question which is i guess where were you what so i was in the living room so i was in the living room and i actually

watched it at home which was really on time on On time? On time, yeah, nine o'clock. Yeah, so sat down. Are you on time? I was on time. I was sitting back home. My mum and my dad, I had James, I had all of the kids. Did you have a tray of food? No, but I had a load of chocolate. I had snowballs and just like so much chocolate. It was insane.

And then we all sat around and nobody spoke. Well, everybody was like cheering and laughing and saying like the odd thing. But what I couldn't believe was that all of the kids just all sat around and nobody spoke. Well, everybody was like cheering and laughing and saying like the odd thing. But what I couldn't believe was that all of the kids just all sat down, all watched the whole thing. All right. Quietly? Quietly. Oh, my God.

Well, Eva and my father screamed at the point when Dave Cochise came down the stairs. We screamed. My heart was going, what did you think? It was amazing. That's my favourite episode ever. We sat down. It was myself, my daughter, Eliza, who's 14, who absolutely loves it, Mark, and my sister-in-law, Linda, and Maria, my niece.

And we sat down. And I can honestly, I don't know whether it is because there's been such a clever, amazing build-up, so much build-up, but I've never enjoyed 90 minutes like that. The only time I can remember enjoying that as much, but I was smaller, but feeling as emotional, was when I watched Only Fools and Horses' Time on Our Hands, where they found the watch.

Yeah. And they became millionaires when they found the pocket watch. That viewing for me, A, we were silent. Mm-hmm. From the minute, as soon as it started with, they're going to get married, they're getting married, they're getting married. That was quite clever.

They were like, no, no, what's he doing? You know, the whole way through, you felt very involved. Yeah. And I think that was very clever because I know it was said in the doc but I do feel they gave us everything we wanted and when Gwen we knew something was up

I knew you had a fella I said Gwen's got a fella Gwen's got a fella she's hiding it when Dave came down the stairs we were screaming at the telly because I did not see it coming. Yes, yes.

I thought it was absolutely brilliant. At one point, we thought it was Bryn. That would have been very weird. My dad said he thought it was Pete. Lots of people think that. Yeah, two Petes because Dawn and Pete had broken up. But Dave did not enter my head. Mine neither.

No, mine neither. What was it like filming that when you read the script and everything what did you think well it was just I met up with Chris Gurnan

our amazing wonderful director before I'd had the script and obviously she was embarrassed she was working on it and we just met

for coffee and she said well I'm not I said no I don't want to know and I sit down and obviously I'm not going to

tell you anything she said no but I will say something there will know anything. And I sit down and read the article. I said, obviously, I'm not going to tell you anything. She said, no, but I will say something. There will be a point that I think you might shriek. And so I just went, oh, right. So that was it. That was it. So, you know, then I'm sitting in the garden. It's quite late, but I was sitting in the garden.

And yes, I did shriek. And it was quite late. So I was a bit worried that somebody would come round, but nobody did. I was exactly the same. And Chris said to me, there's going to be a point where you scream out loud. And I was like, oh, God, I don't think there will be. I mean, what can it be? And then I was actually reading it and I thought, all right, Gwen's got a fella.

And then when he came down the stairs and then on the script it said, it's Dave Coaches. I was like, oh, I couldn't believe it. I know. Wasn't that day fun to film? That day was fun. Was it? Yeah. Yeah.

I mean, it was, you know, it was all, the whole day was just on that scene in that house. It was, wasn't it? But how did you feel? Because I loved it, right? It's been my favourite ever, ever Gavin and Stacey scene to film, right? But because I had enough, right, to say and do that I felt involved. I could get, you know, really into it and in the drama, but not enough that the pressure was on me.

Yeah. And I could, I could enjoy myself. I could enjoy watching you all and just have a really, really into it and in the drama, but not enough that the pressure was on me. Yeah. And I could enjoy myself. I could enjoy watching you all and just have a really, really good time. But, you know, the pressure was on you. It was big time. It was fishing trip. It was confronting Bryn.

Yeah. It was meeting Dave Cochise. How did you feel? Well, I was so... What I feel was brilliant was... Well, I just thought it was wonderful for you, the episode, because I just felt Gwen came into her own. She wasn't a skivvy.

She wasn't looking after everyone, cooking. She wasn't put upon. You know, permanently put upon. Absolutely. Get some with it. So it was a joyous, because it was such a joyous storyline for Gwen, there was nothing but to enjoy it, you know? I mean, yes, it was a bit pressurised,

because you just want to get it right, you know. But then when you're in the hands of, you know, and then, you know, Ruth was there as well. And, you know, in the very, very safe hands of Chris Gurn. And you just know that she wouldn't let anything other than doing it right. You wouldn't get away with doing it. And, you know, she knew what she wanted. I knew what I wanted to do with it. It was perfect.

And so it was just actually just getting that level of getting it right, really. And if you were to say it, if I were to have known it before watching it, I would have said, oh, that's a bit unrealistic. But you believed it. Yes. You believed it. Oh, my God. That bit where you say, we just wanted to make sure that it wasn't just, and he goes, sexual.

I love that bit so much. And we just wanted to make sure that it wasn't just, and he goes, sexual. I love that bit so much. And I just remember me and his jokes. And there's a little thing, and she nods on that. Yeah, I remember nodding on that. That's not in, yeah, that wasn't on, that didn't make the cut, but yeah. I just remember this thing, yeah. I know what bag you're packing and everything.

I just remember looking at him and just thinking, last time I was with Dave, he was riddled. And now he's with my lover. No, but later on he did say it all cleared up down there. I remember that scene. So, yeah, no, Gwen would have certainly sorted that out for him, I tell you what. But Steph was so good.

Oh, my God, I just remember laughing, just thinking, oh, my God, you two have got to kiss, and you've known each other for years. It's hilarious. Was it all right between you? Did you have fun doing it? Was it weird? No, as actors, it's know as actors it's no it's what we do yeah so and it was yeah as you said it's because it was such a lovely storyline for her it was just a joy

to do it really really was yeah yeah and i think my last line was i bloody loves you oh yes what a lovely last line to have in the finale for Ever and Ever Amen and that was such a lovely last line to have. And then I think his last line was same to you Sugar Tits. Yeah he was wasn't he? I mean isn't that lovely? You've got called Sugar Tits.

That's very good. Yeah that was lovely. No it was great. No we enjoyed that day didn't we? Oh god it was so was so much fun, wasn't it? It was fun. So much fun. And then with Rob coming with all his cycling gear on. No, it was all, it was great.

Yeah. I tell you, the day of filming that I enjoyed the most, though, was when we were on the bus. Oh, that was fun. Because I was sitting next to Joe. We sat next to each other. And we can't tell you the stories that we talked about. We can't tell you what we talked about.

But all I can say is it involved a pizza box. We told each other so many... God, it was so lovely. It was so funny. Yeah, and I don't think I've laughed as much as I laughed on that day of that sitting next to this beautiful girl. It was fab, right? We felt it was like possibly the slowest stunt in the world

when we all went through the hedge, right? But we were loving it, right? We had such a laugh. Me and Mel were sitting next to each other on the coach and we got on the coach. All day, I mean all day. And we were laughing, right? Going, oh my gosh, isn't this so funny, right?

Because we were looking at everybody on there and we were sitting next to each other and we were just, we were sitting next to each other and we were like, look at us two, we are sitting here, we have not stopped talking. It's been like a counselling session. The amount of stuff that we told each other

before like half past 10 in the morning was unbelievable. It was such an amazing time. It was very funny, yeah. And then that lead up to the actual stunt. Yes! Can we say we actually went through the hedge and about like...

About eight miles an hour or something, wasn't it? It was eight miles an hour. Building it up, building it up. We're getting so, so excited. Oh my God, let's do the stunt.

Let's all be involved in the stunt. So really overexcited about it. And then when it actually happened, it was like... And then we had to do all the acting going side to side. Doing ourselves around everywhere, didn't we? But it was just...

But it was good fun, wasn't it? It was very good fun. What did you think about filming all of the wedding stuff, the first wedding with Sonia? God, that was a right old day. That was. That was so good to watch, guys. It was.

I just thought that was so cleverly written because it just took you to the absolute edge that you actually think, my God, he is actually going to go through with it. And there was such a point when I looked and she was walking and she's, you know, Laura. So lovely and so beautiful. And what an amazing performance, actually.

Yeah, amazing. I mean, spot on, wasn't it? And she was walking down with her screen dad. And I actually, at that point, I felt really sorry for her. I felt sorry for her as well. I didn't. I didn't. Really?

No, not one ounce. Because when I was there and I saw her and the music was playing and she was walking down the aisle and I thought, God, you look absolutely beautiful. And I felt sorry for her. I did. But then it all started and whatever. I didn't feel ever sorry for her. I just thought, you're absolutely beautiful. And I felt sorry for her. But then it all started and whatever. I didn't feel sorry for her.

I just thought, you're not meant to be. You don't like the family. You're just not right. She had such a wonderful smile on her face. But the moment she said about his shoes, I thought, oh, no, it went there. Gone. Wanting to turn him into something he's not.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, it was all for the best. But I thought it was just very cleverly timed, all that. And it was a good day, wasn't it? It was. God, there were so many tears. Yeah. And I tell you what was funny,

and I think that's in the documentary in any case, so it's sort of repeating itself, is when two of so-called Sonia's friends stood up. Yes. And they just did that automatically. They weren't told to. They were just two extras and they just stood up. Well, for me, when Neil the baby stood up,

I was in floods of tears, floods. And then, obviously, when he said Mick. Oh, my God, that bit got me big time. I mean, when I say crying, my Mark went, are you for real? Because, you know, he hasn't really followed. He's watched the odd Gavin and Stacey, but it's not an avid thing.

And me, my niece and my daughter were inconsolably crying. Inconsolable. Inconsolable. Laughing, crying. It was the music. It was Blackbird. It was Oscar playing that, which was so beautiful. And then it was just the whole thing.

And I just remember crying like mad on the day, but then going to fits of utter hysteria and laughter because there were like such funny bits, weren't there? No, it was, well, from beginning to end, actually. We had a really, really good time. We did. I tell you what, I felt really naive because when we went and turned up for the read-through

and I'd, you know'd have the script and i couldn't work out who susan was oh yes because in the script originally because and i said there was a susan all the way through it yeah i just didn't kick stuff so and i went up to james and i said look i said it's been five years and it's straight from you know and i said who's susan and he went oh my goodness sake because they called sonja so they didn't want anything to It's been five years and it's straight from, you know. And I said, who's Susan? And he went, oh, for goodness sake, what's Susan? Because they called Sonia, so they didn't want anything to get out. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So, of course, they called Sonia in the script. Susan? Well, I think Sonia is called Sonia because of me. So there you go. I felt really bad, right, because in the script, I had to send a message to Chris Gurnan and go, who's Harry? And she had to send me a message back going, it's your son.

And I had to go, oh, right, okay. But the fact that they were able to keep that quiet. I know. And we really thought, because when we were filming,

there were a lot of paparazzi around. Talking about the day that we were on the coach. Oh my God, that that day there was a photographer right in this huge big field and will you tell the story there was a photographer in the field that we were going to go through the gates and you know and so sarah fraser is a lovely great producer and uh she went to have a word with him and he sort of said no he said you know

she said this is private land he says all right he said so and he went through the hedge and then he was standing on the road he was standing in the road and she said you know do you mind he said no this is public property i'm allowed to be here so that was it so he was going to try and get the picture any sort of pictures of this you know and i thought my god he's going to get the picture of us going through the hedge and what's that going to be like? Anyway, so she couldn't get rid of him. So what she did with her, and I don't know who, there were two, I can't remember who went with her,

I can't remember who went with her, but they took these big umbrellas, those big black umbrellas, and they sort of walked up to the hedge where he was with his camera. And then, of course, she was on cans. So she knew when we were going to turn over. And when we went to turn over to do the actual stunt, they put the umbrellas up and went running up. And as he was running up and down

to try and avoid the umbrellas to take pictures, they were running up and down with the umbrellas to try. So he's got some wonderful pictures of these black umbrellas in front of him, which I thought was rather genius. Do you remember what Sophie Hebron did one time? I love Sophie. I've known Sophie a very long time.

I've not seen her for a very long time. She's just a gem. She is a gem. One time we were filming and we were on our unit base and all we were concerned about was oh my god we don't want them to get a photo of Laura you know playing soccer

because that would really ruin everything but she was inside though she was always inside and she couldn't come to base she couldn't come to base she couldn't go anywhere with us in fact they actually put her in that spooky hotel on her own.

The hotel that we were filming in, they made her stay there. And Sophie stayed with her because there weren't any staff there. It was just like an empty sort of building, I think. And she just had to stay there because they were like, we can't dance it. You can't leave the building. There was one time when we were on unit base and Sophie saw this fella in the bushes, sort of like, well, in the bushes.

And she went up to him she went oh hello do you want to take a picture of me and she started doing all posing and everything and he went no and she went oh come on take a picture of me why don't you and he went i don't want to and she went well what are you doing in the bushes then and he went well i'm i'm you know cutting the bush this is where i live this is what my house is it was a normal man who just had like some strimmer or some things and he was literally just cutting the bush and Sophie went over and went, do you want a picture of me? Well, you do get paranoid in these situations,

I have to say. And there were a lot of them around at various times. So I'm just saying that how it didn't get out is absolutely quite remarkable. The one thing I will say about all of this is even if photos had been got, I just think everybody in the tabloids also so wanted it to be a perfect day that they didn't. No one wanted to spoil it for anyone.

I think at the end of the day, I think they knew they would be absolutely vilified if they had let anything go. So even if they did find out something, I think the editor, I'd like to think that the editor would have said, yeah, no, nobody would ever forgive us. Because I wanted to talk to you both. Overnight viewing figures was 12.3 million. Now, this really makes me very passionate because I am an old-fashioned television watcher. And, of course, I do catch up because life's like that now and all that. But I do like to sit down and watch telly.

And I think if telly is good enough because what I hear now in our business the spiel is oh we don't get those figures anymore we just can't we can't get those figures anymore you can you can yeah and it excites me because people do sit down to watch something if they really want to so how did that make you both feel because for me I was excited and I wasn't in it well I was excited and I was in it right and so I knew what was going to happen but I still had I really enjoyed sitting down with all my family even though I knew what was going to happen for like event telly to go oh my god I can't wait to watch the Christmas special and I think what you're saying that is that that doesn't happen that often anymore no and I remember it used to

happen I mean literally yearly with Morecambe wise christmas special the whole family would come and sit down yeah absolutely and watch it and then and i think probably up to the um only fools and horses christmas special and i think from in my mind that was probably the last sort of time that that i could feel i i think appointments of you I think appointment of view. I mean, EastEnders, for instance, the big six last year with the merger. It's great. It's appointment of view, but the figures aren't up there. I'm talking about that spectacular. We used to, again, years ago, 20 million, 24 million,

but then you're going back a long, long while. But to get that now in the day and age we live in is extraordinary. And I think what's so lovely about hearing that is that you, and hearing a story that a friend told me that her family had all sat down and her family usually have quite a fractious Christmas day. I mean, they've got the small little ones to the, you know, the grandparents in their 90s so there's a big expanse of you know of ages there and there's usually you know the teenagers

and there's always a bit of you know hassle in this particular family I won't mention of course any names um and she said but this time she said we were all sitting down all of us it's absolutely unheard of in their family even the 17 other the 15 60 or 17 year olds who will usually just say i'm not washing it with you i'm gonna wash it in you know in my bedroom whatever they all sat around and she said it was just a really magical 90 minute simply because she was sitting there looking around and her whole family extended family were all sitting there and she said that was just... So, you know, to get your 14, 15-year-old, you know, there sitting with you.

Oh, well, my Eliza, we are, as I say, we're old-fashioned. We still watch a lot of telly together. Last night we watched The Limitless Win. You know, you'll watch things, you know, you're sitting... But, yeah, I think that was very rare to have that. Well, it says in you know in the viewing figures it's incredible and then obviously because now what they do is collate then all of the modern stuff which is your right your download your iplay whatever and it's 19.1 million

the last time i looked but it's still going strong because it's 28 days that could easily get to 25 mil oh my goodness my goodness. Easy. Oh, my God. That's like a third of the country. Oh. That's a bit scary. It is. It's such a loved show.

It must be very strange being in something. And I know we've spoken about it, but, you know, I've got you both here and it's over. But do you think it, do you know how special it is for this the uk do you know do you realize that it's brought families together as you said about when you hear from here say when somebody actually tells you know i can't quite compute that personally i can't i can't because it's funny because i was watching the goggle box thing afterwards yeah and i found that because i found this last special and the whole filming of it really quite strange

because to me it was kind of not like a job because to me it was sort of going, oh my God, I'm saying goodbye to all of my friends. I'm not going to ever be in this situation with them ever, ever again. So I found all of that quite weird. And then it was really strange watching Gogglebox and seeing them.

It was just so lovely, right? But hearing them go, oh God, here comes Stacey. She's not going to be able to keep her mouth shut about this. And I'm kind of like, oh, my God, it's funny because I think of it as me. Because when I'm playing her, I'm just thinking, I'm just being her. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's just so funny watching people's reaction to it. But because each character has been written so well that you know each character,

or you think you do until Dave Cochise comes downstairs. The underbelly of Gwen. Yeah. But, you know, you know them so well and you love them. And that is what your telly's about. It's just about characters. Yeah. You can sit in a room and talk about mint baileys.

Yeah. Yes. And it means something. Or an oven glove. I know we've said that, but it's... I'm so passionate about it. It isn't about big explosions or bombs. And I think that's what makes it work, I think, for so many people.

I just remember when we were in the press screening, watching it, which has all its, you know, it's quite nerve-wracking and stressful and pressured and all the rest of it. And nobody wants to see their face 20 foot by 10 foot. I mean, you just don't, do you? Because the screen, when you go to a press screening, the screen is huge. And then your face comes on and your face is massive. And you just go, oh, my gracious me. But even though I thought of that of myself because it's like you know a bit scary but as I was watching everybody else in that press screening

on screen I wasn't thinking of Alison and Larry I was thinking of I was there Pamela and I was thinking of Stacey I wasn't saying I was saying that your character, I was completely transported even in the stressful idea of a press. And even you knowing them, your friends. And in it, and I was still absolutely transported into that world. And even more so than when I watched it on Christmas night, because we were the normal size, so I could calm down a bit. You know, and I was slightly more relaxed about our thing. And therefore very much

Transported into that little world Well interestingly Last night This is where Bereft Bereft of Governor Stacey Laying in bed Eliza came in for a cuddle

Yeah And I'm going through the channels And I went Oh What's this? What's this? Larry and From Bill and Ricky to

What's this? For a minute I thought it was You know I said I've not heard of to what's this for a minute I thought it was you know I said I've not heard of this what's this Alison and Larry Billericay

from Barry to Billericay yeah and we put it on your voice in it we had it on for five minutes I went this is really depressing it's not Pam and Mick to get off

yes oh my god it was good though but you know yes yeah I just thought it was mad watching it on christmas day because i remember when we filmed like all of the wedding stuff i was crying all day

and then i was crying at the screening and i think but then watching it on christmas day you know when he decides right what you know how how long is it before she goes and whatever and everybody's going when i went in to do my adr i cried all the way through watching that but then when it came out on on TV and I was watching that scene, I didn't really cry at all because I was so excited. I was like, oh, my God, they're going for her. And I found it so joyous that I didn't cry as much. Maybe it's because you've got no tears left.

I think I got the documentary completely wrong. What did you think of the documentary? Because I enjoyed watching the Spare Shell on TV on Christmas Day. And then I got the documentary and then that set me off again there I thought the documentary was actually really moving it was that you know to hear Ruth and James speak the way they they spoke during the documentary I found that really quite moving but I think with me with the focus everybody was in tear just on the on the last day I mean I wasn't quite as emotional as because I don't think anybody can

match that quite frankly but to me it was because I was completely and utterly convinced that the 2019 was going to be the last one I know yeah it was I really was right from the get-go you thought it was going to be the last one absolutely and since then I just thought well that was you know so I was really taken by surprise because some people will have said I think you know oh well I wondered whether they would and I completely thought it was going to be the last one so I was hugely surprised then of course when Ruth rang and so I just thought my god what a bonus what a joyous bonus to get to work with you again you, and get to work with everybody else again. That's just so brilliant.

So I was just so sort of happy with it. Yeah, I get that. You know, because it was just such a celebration to get to go, like to get to go again on the fairground with a free pass. You know, I think, oh, I'll get to do this again which I really didn't think that was going to happen so it was all so it came from that sort of really happy place of course then very sad because you that yeah definitely the finale yes oh my god you remember us the day after the wrap party well I remember you we had a late check-in from the hotel, right? Well, it had to be late for the joke. She came round and knocked on my door at about what time? It was about half past twelve or something.

What was I like? You genuinely, it was like Stacey and Gwen. You were like my mum. Yes. Have you packed it now? I haven't started packing. I haven't started packing. Slightly hangover was on this to me. You've still got all my stuff, haven't you?

She was desperately trying to get all of the stuff in all my stuff, haven't you? And she was desperately trying to get all of the stuff in my suitcase and me going, I just can't get it all in. I can't pack. And I said, look, I'll put that in the bags there and I'll put that in there. Do you want this? Do you want that? And so I tried to... And then I had to carry

all that to my car, which was up to you. And I had mice. I had mice. I had a huge bag from it. And then two, three bags that I had to carry to my car with Jo. And one bag was mine. And I've still got it in my house because I went there almost straight to Bantu afterwards. I've only just finished.

I haven't even managed to get it to your mum and dad. If you've got a pair of summer flip flops. Oh, no, they're in the loft again. Oh. I mum and dad. If you've got a pair of summer flip-flops. Oh, no, they're in the loft again. Oh, what? I was going to say, if there's a pair of summer flip-flops. They're down from the loft. I was wearing them actually yesterday. And these are my flip-flops, right, which I wear all year round,

nearly every single day because I wear them during the summer and when it's not summer, I wear them as slippers in the house. They stink like vinegar. Yesterday I was wearing them again, right, and I actually thought, and I haven's not summer, I wear them as slippers in the house. They stink like vinegar. Yesterday I was wearing them again, right, and I actually thought, and I haven't washed them, and I thought to myself, God, they smell. And it was yesterday. But, oh, my God, can I tell the story about when we were in radio, too, right?

Oh, God, I'm so in love. It was hilarious. That was wonderful. By the way, that was brilliant. Was it? When you took over Radio 2. I mean honestly my dreams came true

at Christmas for a fan it might have all seemed a bit overwhelming for you a bit like is everyone going to be really bored

but you couldn't get enough of it if there was another 90 minute special plus four more mock you doc you

to watch of you all I would have been lapping them all up I would have been lapping it all up really well when we went in right to do Radio Tim,

we'd done all of it. We'd done mostly, you know, all of it. You did the breakfast show, didn't you? Yeah, we did the breakfast show. And all of the cast came in and we were all slowly, you know, coming in. And Mel was doing panto. So she came up on Zoom. Oh, no, she didn't.

Oh, yes, she did. And let me say, I had a morning show. Eleven. We have to say that. Eleven. Yeah was in she was in the dressing room i think you'd had your hair and makeup done no i hadn't done anything you look glamorous oh thank you very much that's because i had my little crown yes you did you did and then but she's in just like normal clothes and um and she's and so we've chatted to her on zoom and stuff and then they said right okay uh we're gonna go now because you know we're gonna we're coming to the end of the show

and they obviously must have left it running because we were all gonna do a big goodbye so they assumed obviously that mel would be you know included in it as well and this is where i went wrong because i just thought she thought we'd say goodbye and she was going so i remember i was getting emotional again because I remember looking at Ruth and they said, right, well, this finally is it. This is the last goodbye. You know, we are actually, this is the last time

we're all going to be together again. I was starting to get a bit weepy again. And then I was sitting on the sofa with Matt. And Matt all of a sudden just went, Jo, Jo, Mel's taking her clothes off. She can't, she doesn't think that we're watching her. She doesn't know she's still on camera. They haven't turned it off.

She's still on camera. I went, what? I looked up right. I couldn't even run. All I could see was she'd stood up right. She was still handshot. She'd stood up. There was no head.

She was just a brown vest and her pants. And she's moving around. And he went, she's going to start getting changed. And I started shaking because I thought, oh, God, I can't let this happen. I have to warn her. So I'm going, oh, my God. Oh, God, where's my phone? Oh, God, where's my phone?

Me time, I've got my leg out. She's literally getting everything out. I just remember seeing no hair. Fairy's getting ready. Fairy's getting ready. Fairy's showing more than she should. And so I just got my phone. I remember dropping it at one point and just trembling.

And then just trying to, I was just like, I don't know what to get. And also because you first of all did it on WhatsApp. And I haven't got a notification for WhatsApp. Yeah, so then I went to my contacts. Then you went to contacts. And then I was trying to find mail. And so it's because the phone was to the side of me. How did you, where was the C?

I was pushing my second leg into the phone. So I managed to set, so I did WhatsApp. Brilliant. And then couldn't get it, went to find Mel. No, it was because the phone was to the side of me. How did you, what did you see? I was pushing my second leg into the phone. So I managed to say, so I did WhatsApp and then couldn't get it, went to find contacts. And then I was like typing something, going, oh my God, my, oh my God, she's right. I had four messages from you and the last one was, Mel, stop. And then I looked at the, we can see you. And then I sort of looked straight, because from my point point of view I'd done the interview on Zoom and that was at like nine o'clock and at twenty past nine

I thought well they're not going to come back to me now that's fine and then I thought well in the remit it was like nine o'clock to half past nine so I thought I'd better hang around for the last ten minutes just in case there is this big goodbye just in case so I thought well what I'm going to do

I'd better stay in the room and I thought, well, what am I going to do? Well, I'd better stay in the room. And I thought, well, I'm getting a bit nervous because I've still got to put makeup on. I said, oh, yeah, I'll just get ready. So that's when I started taking my clothes off and realising. I just remember looking up, right? I had no idea that it was still on. Well, I could see me, but, you know, you're so small.

Yeah. But I didn't realise it was huge in the studio. I just remember doing all of this. I just got the laptop and I'm like, I'm the size of a stamp. I'm the size of a stamp on my laptop. So I'm thinking, well, nobody could see anything. I just remember seeing her on the screen, right? Not the 24.10 foot screen.

She suddenly stopped moving and I saw her go like this and look at the phone and go like that. And then go like that. And I just went, she's seen it. She's seen it. She's stopped. I was just about to just take my top off. Oh, God.

Absolutely hilarious. And then we went from that then to playing then the song, Run, you know, our theme tune. And then that. And then we all said goodbye again. And then we all said goodbye again then we all started crying again so it was up and down up and down and then I texted I ended up ringing Matt because you text me say don't worry we didn't see anything although I don't believe it

what did Matt say Matt said no I see you said he clocked it first of all yeah and that's why he sort of nudged you and he said no he's it's all right, we didn't see too much. But I mean, there were certain things that was really, really in my mind. That is so funny. I thought you'd seen. So funny.

I mean, that is a great scene. So funny. That's a great scene. What a great scene that was. Should have saved that, written it down in a notebook. Mortified. Mortified.

Can I phone my daughter? Yes. Can I say, can you say hello to my daughter eliza of course because i just would love you to hear because she's 14 and i think i think she will be so over the moon here we go hang on darling right right Mel can hear you I can hear you this is Eliza oh Eliza hello hello nice to speak to you hello Eliza I was explaining to Mel and Jo how much we enjoyed the Christmas special but I thought it would be really special coming from you oh it was absolutely incredible honestly and I know it doesn't really sound a lot because obviously I'm only 14, but I think because I haven't like grown up with it

and I only recently, well, I say recently, like last year, well, two years ago now, only watched Gavin and Stacey for the first time. And I watched the whole thing and I think I watched it within days and it was honestly, I loved it. And then when it ended like that,

I was like, no, it has has to finish and then this year came out and me and my cousin Ro Ro we were sat on the sofa and we watched a special well all of us but I was sat with Ro Ro and we finished it and we were literally five minutes from the end and we just sobbed and when I say we sobbed for a full-on like half an hour, and we have till this day, still not stopped talking about it. It was incredible. Oh,

that's, that's such a lovely thing to say. I'm sorry you were so upset for half an hour. Honestly, it was incredible. And I always talk, my really good friend, Lucy, she loves it as well.

And we were all talking about it on Christmas Day and she said why was it so sad because it's never going to come on again it's just done now and that's part of the reason why we were so upset but you can still re-watch it and re-watch it I'm going to be really honest with you now

I've watched it four times already the last one sorry Christmas day I have had all series of Gavin and Stacey on repeat oh my god because I've been I've been in bed for two days straight because I've been really ill and I've actually just had the series on repeat for two days do you know what's so nice is that you know somebody your age to love it so much so it's gone to another sort of generation so it's your you know it's your age group now or you know are now watching it and it's got the same obviously um results of people

having absolutely fully in love with it you know and? And you just think, I think, well, when you get older and maybe, you know, get whatever... Pass it on again. You'll pass it on again. What did you think about Gwen and Dave coaches? Oh, my goodness. Me and Ro, we sat there and we screamed. We went, no, no, who's it going to be?

We were like, is it Bryn? Oh, this is so true. We We thought it can't be Bryn. And the footsteps were thinking, who walks like that? Who could that be? And we were like, it's got to be Bryn. And then Dave walked around the corner. We were screaming, weren't we? We were screaming and we were laughing so much.

Because it was just so unexpected because everyone's obviously thinking well dave's not gonna be in it because him and nessa aren't there anymore yeah so dave's probably not gonna come back into it i know it was a great way to bring him back into it wasn't it and i'm so brilliant yeah it was right eliza that's us but i just thought i know once in a lifetime i knew you'd love to chat to jemma mel quickly about it Liza, thank you so much. I'm so glad you enjoyed that. Thank you. Oh. All right, darling.

Thank you so much. All right. Bye, darling. Love you. Bye. Love you. Bye. Bye.

Oh, she's so lovely. But I think it's important because that is, like you say, a new generation. Yeah, it's a new generation. And a lot of them, you know, they're just watching whatever online whatever online absolutely and that's what i mean about coming down and watching it with a family and you know and and and yeah hopefully they just pass it on pass it on so it'll just you know keep going that weird that will keep going isn't it well it's strange because now i've started my children watching it eve is 11 11. She's just started. Yeah. I mean, and it is.

It's just like a whole new generation. But Joanie's eight. Yeah. We sit down and we get the DVDs. We watch Only Fools and Horses. Yeah. Eliza loves Fawlty Towers. Yeah, yeah.

No, we did. We did with Rowan. Same with Rowan. Rowan absolutely loved Fawlty Towers, Only Fools and Horses, regular, and The Simpsons. And that's what Rowan was brought up with. Yeah. Yeah.

So it is interesting. So it's another one. It's just another one of those slots, isn't it? In that particular forever slot, hopefully. And obviously there was one more surprise which again in our household we were screaming at the telly. The fishing

trip footage. Yes. Oh, in the end of the documentary. Yes. That was filmed a good, at the end of the documentary. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That was filmed a good few years ago. Yeah, but there was absolutely nothing, though. They just held up a film, wasn't it? They didn't show anything happening. No, no, no.

Because they couldn't really. Just for a minute. Just for a minute, you thought, well, this was like the joke, wasn't it? You know, just as we're going to know what happens, we don't know what happens. I was quite impressed with their wigs. Yeah. I have to say one thing.

I know it's the final. I was quite impressed with the fish. It's a huge fish. Where did you catch that from? That's not in the towie. But it being the finale at Forever and Ever Amen, as you say,

it has gone down so well. I know that that is the, even I know that's the end. Yes. Come on, the BBC are going to be on their hands and knees. But do you know what makes me laugh, right? Begging for something, a spin-off, the fishing trip. They're going to be begging. If someone said to you, we're going to be begging well if you got if someone said to you we're gonna make grin and daves in the house oh i don't know i don't know what makes

me laugh right is that every time any of us are asked and now i can genuinely say oh no 100 there definitely won't be any more i mean i, I really don't think there will. Any time anybody asks Larry though, Larry always goes, yes, of course there will be. Doesn't he? Doesn't Larry always say that? Larry always says that, always. Well, as I said, I thought the last one was the end. Yeah.

Do you ever remember them saying that the end of the third series was the end? When the four of us are on the wall and Stacey's pregnant. Oh, yeah. And we had that helicopter going back. Yeah, great shot. And that was supposed to be the four of us are on the wall and Stacey's pregnant oh yeah and we had that helicopter going back yeah great shot and that was supposed

to be the last last one that does feel like an end yeah because I remember crying and walking into make up and seeing Ruth and boasting

you weren't crying again were you I was crying on that one many years ago that was the end were you crying on the last day of filming this one

I was I got tearful only because everybody else was absolutely in bits. And when I see other people crying, I end up crying. No, it was up here. I wasn't. Not up here, Larry. No, no, it's crying.

It's getting complicated. No, I didn't know. I was very, very, very moved. I was very moved on that last day. We had a good last day, though, didn't we? We had a great last day. Do you remember all the karaoke that everybody did? Yes, but you don't see any of it.

Didn't see any of it, did we? It was like, the last, you know, page of the script was just like, it's all a big party,

you know, Stacey's giving a speech, Gavin's giving a speech, Uncle Bryn's doing karaoke, but all these karaoke's and everything and it was really good fun. It was good fun.

But do you remember Rob doing his warm up for karaoke? Can we get the footage of that? Oh, that would be hilarious, wouldn't it? Well, they did film it. They filmed it all day, didn't they?

Yeah, I think we need maybe that made into something for me to watch. That's another Mocky Docky that you want. I was so glad, though, that I didn't have to do any karaoke. Oh, my goodness. Well, you did a very good speech as well, because that was off the top of your head. I know you were worried about that. Yes, I was worried about that.

And then I thought, oh, I'm not going to prepare anything. I'm just going to just speak. And then I did. And I just cried and said how much I loved everybody. I was quite nervous beforehand, though, because Matt got up and did his speech first. And it was great. And he had all of his toasts on his props.

Yeah, no, he'd organised it. And I was like, oh, flippin' heck, he's written something here. And then it was time for my one. And I just stood up and went, I love you all. No, it was just, I just, all no it was just I just I know it was all very that last day

was very very moving and I think what made it all the more moving is that it was almost obviously not completely but almost the same crew

that we had yes you know and the first one was Steve and Sophie you know and you know so there was so many people

that we'd we'd worked with for 17 you know wonderful Steve I know Steve very well oh he's just the best it was you know the you know so there were so many people that we'd we'd worked with for 17 wonderful steve i know steve very well he's just the best you know the last day right that's what set me off i thought i'm gonna be fine i i'm gonna be fine now today i'm gonna enjoy it i got out of the car and got to you know unit base got out and turned around and steve was standing there our first just looking at me and i just went oh don't speak to me to me, I can't speak to you. And then I just started crying.

I'll blame, it's all Steve's fault. Oh, it's amazing. You've both been amazing to watch all of these years. You really have. Brilliant. I love that we just got to like, I just feel quite honoured that I got to come down into the kitchen and be involved in some form of omelette situation. I love that, running into the kitchen and just fanning it to the tea towel.

Isn't it weird that that was never really written as a thing at all? Yeah, it wasn't, was it? It just sort of grew with the series, you know? Yes, yes. It just, I mean, I think Ruth and James must have said this, that, you know, all the sayings and everything weren't... No, not... They weren't planted for any particular reason.

It was just sort of organic that they just got the following that they got. And every time you did an omelette, you had to do it properly, didn't you? And you had to have the thing heated up. Yeah, yeah. But, you know, I didn't actually cook them all myself. No, no, you didn't cook them. But on this last one, you wanted to have the heat on and everything. I wanted to make sure that nobody's going to go, oh, well, she didn't turn them, you did. But on this last one, you wanted to have the heat on and everything. I wanted to make sure that nobody's going to go, oh, well, she didn't turn the, you know,

because, you know, people with, you know, hawk eyes will go, oh, well, she didn't really put, you know, she didn't put it on. I said the most important thing is that I actually put the cooker on. I want them to see me put the cooker on. So then even though I didn't have time to actually put the eggs in the pan, I knew it was important for me to put the, and Chris obviously, you know, put the cooker on and put something in the pan, the butter in the pan.

Otherwise what's going to smoke and what's, you know. But on the first take, I think we could smell it, couldn't we? Oh yes, because I left it on. Yeah, because you left it on. She didn't tell anybody and she left it on and the butter was in. And we did the first take and then we were all like, fuck, I'm a Chris now. Oh my God, it's burnt butter. Lovely with a bit of skate and a caper skate nick i'm with you there

so yeah so it was for real to begin with wasn't it yeah yeah that was real stunners lusky oh brilliant absolutely brilliant thank you so much for joining us my pleasure thank you for making for joining us yes my pleasure thank you for making my first podcast such fun oh yay yay

it was so lovely seeing you and Mel together just then oh god it was so lovely your relationship it's so nice chatting to her

Wynette it's so rare isn't it I mean we've both had, that historical time with certain actors where they do become like your family. Yeah. And that is very rare, I think, in our business. It is, isn't it? To see you both together is so lovely.

Oh, yeah, it's not often that you get a connection like that, is it? No. Oh, God. So we have had hundreds of messages from you guys at home about the Gavin and Stacey finale. So thank you all so, so much. Let's listen to a few of them before we go. Yeah.

Well, I've just seen the finale of Gavin and Stacey. You are going to have a flood of messages. But can I just say, I always said that there wasn't a role Anna Maxwell Martin couldn't play. And she popped up as the bloody registrar. Amazing. Amazing casting.

And Laura Aikman needs a shout out for that amazing, very bitchy girl. Oh, she is so good. Oh, my God. I am so impressed. So impressed. What a fantastic episode. Typically, my six-year-old woke up, so I missed the bit about what actually happened on the fishing trip, so I'll have to go back and watch it

tomorrow. But that was amazing. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Well done. You've pulled it off. Really good finale. I was so excited when I knew that Anna Maxwell Martin was going to be in it. She's great, isn't she? Oh my god, she's amazing. And she's so lovely

and down-to-earth. She's a great girl. With just like the dirtiest laugh going. She's brilliant fun. Yeah. She's amazing. And she's so lovely and down to earth. She's a great girl. With just like the dirtiest laugh going. She's brilliant fun. Yeah. She's nuts. And I love her. She is, isn't she? She's brilliant.

Brilliant. So should we have another one? Yeah. I absolutely loved the Christmas special. My favourite part in it, 100%, was when Smithy looked at Mick and said, Mick, and then Mick stood up I mean the music everything it was just so amazing the only thing was and I don't know if anyone else was like this in the whole of the UK I was so on edge because Ruth and James had said this has got to be the last one which I don't know

now was that a little red herring just to throw us all off I don't know now, was that a little red herring? Just to throw us all off, I don't know. But he was like, you know, this has got to be the last one, there will be no more. I was so on edge. When they were all in the buzz,

I was like, the whole buzzy's going to go down, the whole buzz, they're all going to die. Or Nessa's going to die, like I just thought something really bad was going to happen. So I had to then watch it again

so I could fully enjoy it when I knew it was such a happy ending. But I thought the ending was, it was perfect. To to me it was absolutely perfect in every way oh I loved that bit it was when he just looks at him and he just goes and he just goes oh wait there wait there and then he just looks and just goes Mick oh it's just beautiful isn't it and then when Larry just stands and oh my god that just got me big time sobbing let's listen to someone else hi ladies um so the time's 22 41 christmas day night i've just managed to pull myself together enough after watching the gavin and stacy uh special to be able to leave a voice note i cried cried, I laughed, I laughed, I cried by myself watching and loved every second

and I can't begin to tell you when Dave Coaches came down those stairs. I mean it's been a lot, it's been a real lot. I feel like I've lost a family member but just been to an awesome wedding as well. I mean, it's all happened. That is something we said a lot throughout it. We were sitting there, it was like, this is a lot, it's a lot, isn't it? It's a lot.

We did that a lot. It's a lot. This is too much. It's too much. It's all too much. I could enjoy it because I'd seen it before i could enjoy it and um and i didn't cry as much as before because i was just enjoying it but then watching the documentary that just i was the same just i was saying to james was going oh god this is just

too much yeah i can't see myself crying anymore for god's sake just like oh god it was a lot that was so so nice let's have another one because they're all so nice oh my christ i loved it wasn't it brilliant it was it was actually perfect and by the end i was sat on the lounge floor in right in front of the tv like on my knees like urging smithy on there's too many best bits i one of the best bits was pam when she was planning her life when mick died i thought that was hilarious and i should already been to look at those apartments i thought that was brilliant that was so funny i thought that acting was sublime how good was the acting at the wedding like joanna your acting was so it was beautiful when you were telling gav that he had to intervene and gav was saying no and then the best bit the

funniest moment was when he did intervene and he turned to the congregation and he said don't wait you know you all think the same and joanna you and alice instead when you just put your hands down i honestly i just thought it was wonderful the music just the script the acting the whole thing was brilliant a total total triumph that's so lovely i love that bit with me and i was brilliant because we're practically wearing the same clothes as well it's really funny turning into her mother-in-law and he turns and we both just sit there and just put our heads down i love that that. Poor Gav. Yes. Thank God he had the bollocks.

Yes. Oh, God. I cried so much that day. I was so moved during all of it. And then I remember, you know, when Smithy and Nessa actually do get married. Yeah. And then Ruth was wearing that beautiful black dress. And Smithy was in that lovely, you know, just suit.

But he just looked so much more casual in himself. I remember they called me and they said, oh, Jo, will you go in? And we just need some claps and everything, just sit at the back, you know, for, you know, this bit. And I remember walking in and seeing them standing there for the first time dressed like that, and I burst out crying.

I was so moved, and I was kind of like, oh, my God, it's my two friends. And I couldn't stop crying. I was just like, oh, my God, I'm really moved. You're like, you're together. What are you going to do when someone close to you dies? Oh my God. I don't know.

Maybe I'll be like so emotionally wrung out by them. Do you know what though? I am so pleased because I'm the sort of actress who hates crying on screen, right? I hate it when I get a script and it says, oh, she starts crying. I've always had so much hard trouble crying. I remember once, right, lucky you're not in EastEnders.

Well, I know. You must have to do it all the time. Once I was doing a play and I couldn't cry and I got one of those Vicks vapour things. I pulled the lint out and I shoved it underneath my eyes and then my eyes went on fire and I'd go on stage and I was just like, oh my God, I can't even open my eyes. I'm quite pleased that I haven't actually

just actually naturally cried on screen. Possibly for the first time in my career. Honestly, I listen to myself cry all the bloody time. All the time. I have to really get in the mood to cry.

I know people will go, oh yeah, do you know, an action, and they're crying. How do they do it? Amazing. But I have to either really give myself up or I use a tear stick. Yeah. But the tear stick isn't, it's just to start it off to get you going. Yes. Because it's so hard to just squeeze something out, isn't it?

Yeah, it's hard. It's hard. And also, it's not good for the face. No. Because you're permanently... You are. You are. Gurning.

You are. Permanently. Trying to just squeeze something out. I know. Mm. Yeah. Be nice to just be happy. Yeah.

Or just surprised and quite solemn. I can't ever imagine you in EastEnders being like that, though. No. No, no way. Never going to happen. Shall we have another voice note? Yes. Oh, Stace.

We've just given you a quick call from Queensland in Australia. My name's Jim and my husband, Ty, We absolutely love Gavin and Stacey. We thought it was sensational. And we thought Ruth and James are just so clever to have written such a magnificent episode. And it was one of the most exciting things for our entire family here in Australia to watch. We love it. And we think you're all amazing. It's one of the best things we've ever been a part of over the years

and we love it. We also love your podcast and hi, Natalie. Bye. Aww. That's so lovely. That's lovely. See? Everyone's loved it.

You should be very proud of yourself. Done now. Done and dusted. Done and dusted. On to the next thing yes hedgehogs hedgehogs badgers rats mice looking forward to it we're gonna have a chat about that next week we are what are we gonna talk about now we've done christmas done christmas are you watching the traitors am i watching the traitors i am loving it so we're talking about

the traitors next week yeah we are talking about your new wonderful wildlife programme, which is on BBC Two at 6.30pm. Thank you. That's all right. What's it called, though? Joanna Page's Wildlife. I was nearly there, weren't I? Yeah.

Joanna Page's Wildlife. Yes. BBC Two at 6.30pm. Very good. Been feeding baby badgers and all sorts. You look really fresh and you know, just in the wild. In the wild. It's like Michaela

Strachan all over again. Yes, in the wild with my boots on. Oh yeah, it's all good. I reckon James will like watching that. Yes. Because you look all sort of innocent with the animals and all that. Well, if you'd have smelt me it wouldn't have been quite so like

fresh can't be anything worse than the onesie that's so true do you know what right he got me another onesie it's a massive really woolly furry teddy bear one right oh and i love it right but it's massive and it's really thick and every time i put it on right and i zip it up and then i've got a little belt bit on it i feel like i'm i feel solid like i'm good to go and face the world it feels brilliant and i've been contemplating leaving the house and wearing it right but i can only last for a certain amount of time before i feel like i'm having a hot flush and I'm like, oh my God, get it off. Just get it off. And I'm having to just take it off

because it's too damn hot. It does sound quite intense. It is intense. It's an intense onesie. Yeah. So yeah, so we're talking about Traitors next week. Wildlife.

Wildlife next week. And everyone is raging about missing you. Oh, they are. But i'm not sure if i fancy it no but i've just started watching the masked singer as well can't we do that i love the masked singer i don't mind if you want to i want to do the masked singer because that was brilliant i did the masked dancer and to be perfectly honest right after dancing in that with the mask on right i couldn't breathe and so I was watching it the other night and I was thinking... Loads of my family love that show.

I don't know how they can sing, though. I don't know how on earth they can sing with that head. I just find the show a bit random. But that's the joy of it. My family are like, what are you talking about? It's Saturday night telly. But I've never really got into it.

But it's brilliant. I'm just like, who is it? There's costumes, there's about 20 judges. There's just a lot going on. I get a bit... I love the new judge. I love Maya Jammer. I really like, right, that she said to Jonathan Ross the other night

when she started saying something and he interrupted her and she went, let me land. And I thought that was fantastic. I thought, I'm going to take that on with me. If James starts interrupting me, I'm going to go, hey, let me land. And I'm taking that from her because I thought that was amazing. She's brilliant and she's really making me laugh. And I like the guest judges.

Has she not been on there for long then? No, this is her first series and she's brilliant. I am loving it. All right, all right. Just for you. Just for me. Well, thank you for all of your voice notes. They were brilliant, weren't they they were fab so

brilliant i can't believe that gavin and stacy's over i'm actually heartbroken but you can watch the finale on iplayer and the behind the scenes documentary a fond farewell is also up on iplayer which is well worth a watch and remember to keep on sending us your voice notes about the telly that you're watching or about anything we've discussed on the pod. The number is 033 067 84 704. And we love hearing from you. We love it, we do. We love it. Hey, we're back up and running.

We're back in the game. I'll see you next week. See you next week, Angel. Bye. Have a good one. Bye, darling. You too. Bye. I'll see you next week see you next week Angel have a good one bye darling you too bye This is Radio's audio production for BBC Sounds. The Traitors is back, and so is that mysterious cloaked figure with the familiar fringe.

Yeah, it's me. And when you've watched Claudia in the Castle, join me, Ed Gamble, for the official Visualized Companion podcast. And remember, I'll be listening. Okay? No, seriously, I love it. What a faithful. We'll unpack betrayals and spill scandalous secrets

with celeb guests, traitors, legends and murdered and banished players. The Traitors Uncloaked. Watch on iPlayer. Listen for more on BBC Sounds.