Gavin & Stacey star reacts to Dave Coaches twist in series finale
The bus driver is back – in a way that few people could have expected!
Gavin & Stacey star Melanie Walters has weighed in on the surprising romance between her character, Gwen West, and Dave Coaches (Steffan Rhodri), which was exposed in the 2024 Christmas special.
The character appears to have had a quiet, perhaps non-existent, love life since her first husband, Trevor, passed away while Stacey (Joanna Page) was still a young girl.
With help from brother-in-law Bryn (Rob Brydon), she devoted herself to raising Stacey and Jason (Robert Wilfort), and has remained on hand to whip up a quick omelette or babysit for them whenever needed.
But in the series finale, Gwen is finally putting herself first, having been swept off her feet by a whirlwind romance with none other than Dave Coaches – Nessa's former flame.
At a screening of the finale, Walters recalled that her first hint of the major storyline came from Gavin & Stacey director Christine Gernon, who teased that the script contained a moment that might make her "shriek a little".
Walters explained: "And true enough when I turned the page, and there it was. It was Dave Coaches. I did!
"Part of me sort of hoped, when you wonder what the story's going to be, I did sort of hope, 'Oh, I wonder if Gwen will have a little love in her life.'
"And then, when reading that, not in a million years would it be Dave Coaches – I thought it would be one of Doris’s cast-offs."
However, the actor was more than happy with the surprising development, thanking Gavin & Stacey creators Ruth Jones and James Corden for "an amazing, wonderful, beautiful storyline for Gwen", adding that she felt "really blessed".
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Robert Wilfort, who plays Jason, chipped in that once you get past the initial shock of the reveal, Gwen and Dave actually make a "great couple" – and it looks like their future is bright.
Walters added that she thought her last line of the episode – in which Gwen declares her love for Dave, after some truly heroic bus driving – was "just great".
Need a recap on exactly how the finale unfolded? Check out our spoiler-filled overview of the Gavin & Stacey ending.
Gavin & Stacey is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.