Gavin & Stacey Christmas special: What time is the finale on TV?

For millions of Gavin & Stacey fans, the long wait is almost over. It’s been five years to the day since we were last treated to an episode of Billericay and Barry’s favourite characters, but the day has finally arrived.

Gavin & Stacey: The Finale will air on BBC One tonight, bringing the curtain down on one of the most well-known and loved sitcoms of the last 20 years. We don’t know yet what will become of the Shipmans and the Wests, but preview pictures have been released in the run-up to Christmas to give us all a glimpse. You can see some of those here.

What we do know is that millions of people will be watching on Christmas night. Perhaps the viewing figures will even top those of the 2019 Christmas special, when more than 10 million people tuned in, making it the most watched scripted programme of the year. For the latest TV & Showbiz news, sign up to our newsletter.

Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s finale:

When is Gavin & Stacey: The Finale on?

The show starts at 9pm

What channel is it on?

It will be on BBC One and available to watch via the iPlayer

How long is it?

Unusually for an episode of Gavin & Stacey, the final episode will be 90 minutes long. Normal series episodes were always just under 30 minutes, while both the 2008 and 2019 Christmas specials were around an hour in length, meaning the new and final episode will be by far the longest one that Ruth Jones and James Corden have written.

What do we know about the plot?

According to the show’s synopsis: “It’s five years since we left Nessa down on one knee declaring her love for Smithy and asking him to marry her. And a lot has happened in those five years.” However, as well as finding out Smithy’s long-awaited answer, fans will be excited to hear that they might finally learn what happened on Uncle Bryn (Rob Brydon) and Jason West’s (Robert Wilfort) mysterious fishing trip. The fishing trip was first brought up in series one back in 2007 and has been a running joke in the sitcom ever since.

The last time the fishing trip was mentioned on the show, Bryn said: “It was very dark, in every sense of the word.” However, the synopsis for the last episode teases that fans may finally hear more: “Join us on the journey to Barry and Billericay as we catch up with the Shipmans and the Wests for the very last time and maybe find out what exactly did happen on that fishing trip.”

Which characters are set to feature in the final episode?

As you would expect, all the main characters are set to return for the finale: Gavin, Stacey, Smithy, Nessa, Bryn, Gwen, Pam, Mick, Pete and Dawn. However, fans can also expect to see a return for favourites including Neil the Baby, Jason, Rudi, and last but not least, Dave Coaches.

Keep up to date with what's on where you live