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The show won best comedy performance at the Baftas in 2008
TV comedy series Gavin and Stacey is set to return for a one-off Christmas special, James Corden has announced.
Tweeting a picture of a script, Corden said he and co-writer Ruth Jones had been “keeping this secret for a while”.
The Bafta-winning sitcom, about a long-distance relationship between a girl from south Wales and an Essex boy, was last screened in the UK in 2010.
The BBC confirmed the announcement, saying it was “hugely excited” to welcome the show back to BBC One.
In a joint statement, Corden and Jones – who also stars in the show – said: “Over the last ten years we’ve talked a lot about Gavin and Stacey – where they might be today and what their lives might look like.
“And so in secret we took the plunge and wrote this one hour special.
“We’ve loved revisiting Barry and Essex again, and bringing the characters back together has been a joy.
“We’re so excited to get the chance to work with our fabulous cast and crew once more and to give fans of the show a festive treat this Christmas.”
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The series was originally broadcast on the BBC from 2007 to 2010. The show’s 2010 New Year’s Day finale had record ratings for the series with 10.25 million viewers.
Corden and Jones – who play the characters Smithy and Nessa – will be joined in the new special by castmates Mathew Horne and Joanna Page – who play the titular couple, plus Rob Brydon, Larry Lamb, Melanie Walters and Alison Steadman.
Charlotte Moore, director of BBC Content, said: “We can’t wait to see what’s happened to everyone over the last nine years, and what’s next for one of the nation’s favourite comedy families.”
