Gavin & Stacey creators detail extreme lengths to keep Sonia twist secret

The Gavin & Stacey finale synopsis revealed that the gang would be preparing for a wedding, but stopped short of revealing the identity of the happy couple, leaving fans to speculate on who would be walking down the aisle.

However, Aikman was purposefully kept away from all publicity photos, events and even cast accommodation in order to keep her involvement top secret, with Jones and Corden revealing that the actor hasn't even mentioned the gig to her own family.

Speaking at a screening of the Gavin & Stacey finale, Corden began: "I do feel like it's very, very important to say that Laura puts in as good a performance as you could ever really wish for – and isn't here today for fear of it still just somehow leaking.

"She stayed in different hotels, she was going into places in the dead of night [during filming]. She's not part of any of this [promotion]. Such is her want and our want to try and protect the very feeling that we had here."

Jones interjected: "She hasn’t even told her mum and dad and she's hoping to film her parents' reaction [on Christmas Day]. She hasn't even said she's in it, so we hope that she will capture that."

Sonia steps into a less sympathetic light in the special, as Smithy's friends and family all come to the realisation that the pair are not a good fit, but Corden said it was important to himself and Jones that the role not become overly villainous.

He explained: "[The character] is an almost impossible task, and in the hands of anybody else would be a cartoon. And I hope that she gets celebrated for what is, I think, a pitch perfect performance."

Corden added that he "vividly" remembers initial discussions about staging a secret Sonia return, which led them both to wonder if they "could pull that off".

"I feel like we did... We've really tried to protect that as a moment," he concluded.

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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