As if the show could have returned without her!
The much-anticipated final episode of Gavin & Stacey will feature a beloved character, with Alison Steadman confirming her return as Pamela Shipman in a new interview.
Pam is easily one of the show’s most popular figures, with her explosive outbursts and hysterical overreactions providing the internet with a mountain of memes and reaction content.
The show would hardly be the same without Gavin’s protective mother, so it’s a relief to know that she’ll definitely be back for the upcoming festive special, which was finally announced last week after years of speculation.
Steadman confirmed her involvement in an interview with The Sun, saying: “I know it’s going to happen. I just haven’t seen the script – none of us has seen the script… We only found out [it was happening] for definite the other day.”
The actor, also known for Life, Here We Go and Fat Friends (an ITV drama, now on Netflix, where she worked with Gavin & Stacey co-creators Ruth Jones and James Corden), was also asked whether co-star and friend Larry Lamb would appear.
“As far as I know, yes,” she responded.
Lamb plays her on-screen husband Mick Shipman, who perfectly balances out Pam’s bursts of panic with a typically level-headed approach to life’s problems.
The two recently collaborated on a travel series for UKTV channel Gold titled Alison & Larry: Billericay to Barry, which saw them take a 210-mile road trip that stopped at various picturesque locations along the way.
Prior to the long-awaited confirmation, Steadman had expressed interest in returning to Gavin & Stacey, but specified that another one-off special would be preferable to a full revived season – as some fans had demanded.
She told Radio Times: “I’d like to do another, but I don’t know if I could do seven episodes. A special would be great fun and it wouldn’t be too draining and exhausting.
“The Christmas special cliffhanger ending was brilliant. I was really touched and moved by it.”
Gavin & Stacey’s last Christmas special, which aired in 2019, earned strong praise and amassed a huge audience, with more than 17 million tuning in across its first seven days – making it the most-watched sitcom since Only Fools and Horses in 2002.
Suffice to say, the bar is set high for this special. A poll by RadioTimes.com recently revealed whether fans want to see Smithy and Nessa get together or remain separate co-parents – and we can soon expect to find out how it goes.
Gavin & Stacey is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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