Gavin & Stacey cast: Full list of actors and characters in BBC sitcom

However, there are other relationships to delve into as well, including the fading spark between Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Stacey (Joanna Page) and their perpetually arguing family friends Pete (Adrian Scarborough) and Dawn (Julia Davis).

The whole gang is getting back together for the upcoming Christmas special, which creators Jones and Corden promise will be the last ever episode of their runaway hit, although co-star Larry Lamb remains unconvinced.

Read on for your refresher on the Gavin & Stacey 2024 Christmas special cast.

Gavin & Stacey cast: Full list of actors and characters in BBC sitcom

If you're looking for a quick reminder, here's an overview of the key players in BBC One sitcom Gavin & Stacey, each of whom are returning for the 2024 Christmas special.

Read on for more about each character and the actor playing them – including where you might have seen them before.

• Mathew Horne plays Gavin
• Joanna Page plays Stacey
• Ruth Jones plays Nessa
• James Corden plays Smithy
• Larry Lamb plays Mick
• Alison Steadman plays Pam
• Rob Brydon plays Uncle Bryn
• Melanie Walters plays Gwen
• Robert Wilfort plays Jason
• Adrian Scarborough plays Pete
• Julia Davis plays Dawn
• Steffan Rhodri plays Dave

Mathew Horne plays Gavin Shipman

Who is Gavin Shipman? At the start of the series, Gavin is a laddish young man from Billericay, Essex, who gets to know a Welsh woman named Stacey over the phone at work.

After months of talking, they finally set a date to meet, which marks the beginning of a whirlwind romance. The pair get married soon after, with Gavin moving up to her hometown of Barry to make the relationship work.

The Gavin & Stacey Christmas special in 2019 saw him 10 years on from where the series left off, father to three kids with Stacey as the pair try to spice things up in their marriage as their romantic passion has faded slightly over the years.

Here's hoping things haven't eroded further when we reunite with them in the 2024 special, which is set a full five years after the previous festive episode.

What else has Mathew Horne been in? In the aftermath of Gavin & Stacey's roaring success, he and James Corden collaborated on the sketch show Horne & Corden, as well as the feature film Lesbian Vampire Killers, neither of which were well received.

Horne has since appeared in a number of British comedies including Jack Whitehall's Bad Education, Comedy Central's Drunk History and as the grandson to Catherine Tate's foul-mouthed Nan, appearing in the character's film spin-off. His other credits include Agatha Raisin and Inside No. 9.

Joanna Page plays Stacey Shipman

Who is Stacey Shipman? Stacey has firm roots in the town of Barry in South Wales, where she grew up under the care of her mother and her uncle after her father passed away.

She briefly moves to Billericay after marrying Gavin but never feels at home there, which almost causes their relationship to fall apart completely. Fortunately, things get back on track when the couple relocate to Barry, where Stacey works at a refreshment kiosk on the seafront.

Ten years on, the latest Christmas special picked up Stacey's story, finding her concerned by the lack of excitement in her marriage to Gavin, made plain by their decision to buy new kitchen cupboards in the January sales rather than get each other Christmas presents.

What else has Joanna Page been in? Prior to landing the role of Stacey Shipman, Page was known to audiences from the festive romcom Love Actually. Since Gavin & Stacey's last special, she has lent her voice to two children's animated series, Poppy Cat and Q Pootle 5, and played Queen Elizabeth I in Doctor Who's 50th anniversary special. Other credits include Robert Downey Jr's Dolittle, Men Up and Loose Women, where she is now a regular panellist.

Ruth Jones plays Vanessa 'Nessa' Jenkins

Who is Vanessa 'Nessa' Jenkins? Nessa is Stacey's closest friend and a woman who has lived an unusual yet very interesting life. Throughout the course of the series, she makes reference to directing hundreds of Bollywood films with actor Om Puri, working at the BBC alongside legendary journalist Kate Adie and having a relationship with former deputy prime minister John Prescott.

She and Smithy have a complicated relationship, claiming to repulse each other yet sleeping together multiple times. They end up having a baby called Neil, who they co-parent as friends.

In 2019, the Christmas special revealed that the pair were still co-parenting Neil, now a grown schoolboy but still nicknamed 'the baby'. Nessa doesn't like seeing Smithy fret over his relationship with girlfriend Sonia, as she realises she still has feelings for him. In the dramatic final moments, she gets down on one knee to propose, but we're yet to find out his answer.

What else has Ruth Jones been in? Jones's breakout role came on Kay Mellor's drama Fat Friends, where she met future Gavin & Stacey collaborators James Corden and Alison Steadman. She has also appeared in BBC comedies Nighty Night, Little Britain and Steve Coogan's Saxondale. Since Gavin & Stacey, Jones has written and starred in the Sky One comedy-drama Stella, which ran for six seasons to a positive critical reception.

James Corden plays Neil 'Smithy' Smith

Who is Neil 'Smithy' Smith? Smithy is Gavin's best friend, a tradesman from Billericay known for being a loud and extravagant personality at any social event.

When Gavin and Stacey arrange their first proper meeting, he goes along too and is introduced to Nessa. While they aren't particularly affectionate towards each other, Smithy and Nessa do form a connection of sorts and ultimately have a baby together.

In the last episode of Gavin & Stacey season 3, Smithy interrupts Nessa's wedding ceremony, effectively ending her relationship with bus driver Dave Coaches, but his exact feelings for her were left somewhat unclear.

Cue last year's Christmas special, in which he agonised over introducing his girlfriend of one year, Sonia, to the group and struggled when it didn't go smoothly.

The special cut to the end credits just after Nessa admitted her romantic feelings for Smithy and asked him to marry her. He looked shocked, and fans remain desperate to know his answer.

What else has James Corden been in? Prior to Gavin & Stacey, Corden made a name for himself on Kay Mellor's Fat Friends (alongside Jones), as well as the film adaptation of The History Boys.

Since the series ended, Corden has become a Hollywood star, hosting The Late Late Show on US broadcaster CBS, its successful spin-off series Carpool Karaoke and the Friends reunion special.

Alongside his hosting work, Corden has lent his voice to several animated films including The Emoji Movie, Trolls and Peter Rabbit. He also had a role in the Cats movie and 2021's Cinderella film, starring Camila Cabello.

Larry Lamb plays Michael 'Mick' Shipman

Who is Michael 'Mick' Shipman? Mick is Gavin's dad, who is always happy to offer support to his son both emotionally and financially. His calm, level-headed persona is quite the opposite to that of his wife, Pam.

What else has Larry Lamb been in? Lamb appeared in a wide variety of British television programmes throughout the 1980s and '90s, including The New Avengers, The Professionals, A Touch of Frost and The Bill.

During his time on Gavin & Stacey, he took on the role of Archie Mitchell on Eastenders, who became a major player in Albert Square until he was killed off on Christmas Day 2009.

He has also been seen on BBC One's New Tricks, Channel 5's The Inheritance and ITV's reality competition I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, where he placed seventh in the 2016 edition.

He and co-star Alison Steadman recently reunited for travel doc Billericay to Barry.

Alison Steadman plays Pam Shipman

Who is Pam Shipman? Pam is Gavin's mother who absolutely adores her so-called "little prince". She's a caring person but fiercely protective of her son and prone to angry outbursts, which Stacey's family have been on the receiving end of on more than one occasion.

What else has Alison Steadman been in? Steadman had a long-running career before joining the Gavin & Stacey family, with two BAFTA nominations to her name for 1986's The Singing Detective and Kay Mellor's Fat Friends in 2001.

She reunited with Mellor in 2013 for the second season of The Syndicate, while landing other starring roles in the comedy series Love & Marriage, Boomers and Hold The Sunset opposite John Cleese. Most recently, she has appeared in BBC One drama Life and sitcom Here We Go, as well as Robbie Williams music biopic Better Man.

Rob Brydon plays Bryn West

Who is Bryn West? Bryn is Stacey's uncle who played a big part in her upbringing after her father's death. He is loyal and protective but has lived a very sheltered life, causing him to frequently be panicked or excited by the simplest of things.

He has a tricky relationship with Stacey's brother, Jason, due to an incident that happened between them on a fishing trip, which remains a mystery even after it was teased in last year's Christmas special.

What else has Rob Brydon been in? Brydon started his career as a disc jockey, but moved into writing and acting in the BBC comedy Marion and Geoff as well as Human Remains with Julia Davis.

Since Gavin & Stacey, Rob Brydon has been hosting BBC One's comedy panel show Would I Lie To You?, and has also starred in several instalments of The Trip alongside Steve Coogan. His other credits include Barbie and My Lady Jane.

Robert Wilfort plays Jason West

Who is Jason West? Jason is Stacey's brother who lives in Spain most of the time but visits his family on special occasions. He and Bryn had a tense relationship in the past due to the mysterious events of a fishing trip that took place many years ago.

What else has Robert Wilfort been in? Wilfort has made appearances in several notable productions including Tudor drama Wolf Hall and literary fantasy Dickensian, while also providing the voice of Samson on the children's favourite Thomas and Friends. Other credits include Vera, Bridgerton and Sex Education.

Melanie Walters plays Gwen West

Who is Gwen West? Gwen is Stacey's thoughtful mother who is always on hand to offer advice, babysit or cook an omelette.

What else has Melanie Walters been in? Walters has made a handful of small appearances on television since the last special of Gavin & Stacey, including reunions with Ruth Jones on Stella and Larry Lamb on Pitching In. Most recently, she played Dottie on daytime hit Father Brown.

Adrian Scarborough plays Pete Sutcliffe

Who is Pete? Pete is Dawn's husband. Their marriage has been rocky to put it mildly, with lots of ups and downs – some of which are caused by Pete's daft decisions, such as his unusual choice of a wedding ring when the pair renewed their vows.

What else has Adrian Scarborough been in? Scarborough has cropped up in a number of different places, including Phoebe Waller-Bridge comedy series Crashing and Killing Eve, as well as period dramas Upstairs, Downstairs, The King's Speech and 1917.

Julia Davis plays Dawn Sutcliffe

Who is Dawn Sutcliffe? Dawn is Pete's wife, who often appears at the Shipman family home to complain about her marital woes. Pam insists that they do love each other, but their occasional moments of affection are definitely outweighed by the nastier bumps in their relationship.

What else has Julia Davis been in? Davis's career took off with the comedy series Human Remains, which she co-wrote and starred in alongside Rob Brydon. She is also known for trailblazing dark comedy Nighty Night, and has created several other acclaimed shows including Hunderby, Camping and Sally4Ever, all of which aired on Sky Atlantic.

Steffan Rhodri plays Dave Coaches

Who is Dave Coaches? Dave is a minibus driver, who had a romance with Nessa. In fact, the couple very nearly got married, but Smithy interrupted the ceremony as his emotions were in turmoil. Ultimately, Dave accepted that Nessa did not truly love him and called off the wedding himself.

What else has Steffan Rhodri been in? Rhodri has appeared in several other high-profile television shows, including A Very English Scandal, The Last Kingdom, House of the Dragon and Steeltown Murders. Most recently, he was seen in BBC drama The Way, which was co-created by Michael Sheen.

Gavin & Stacey returns on Christmas Day 2024.

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