Bafta win a 'great way to say farewell' to Nessa

The actor and writer jointly responsible for Gavin and Stacey has said winning a Bafta was a "lovely way to say farewell to the show".

Ruth Jones, who won the award for her role as Nessa in the finale, is set to appear at Charleston Festival in East Sussex later ahead of the release of her latest novel By Your Side.

Jones has earned multiple awards for her acting and is a Sunday Times bestselling author.

She said winning the award for Best Female Performance in a Comedy on Sunday was a "really lovely way to bring it full circle after spending 17 years of my life on the show".

She told BBC Radio Sussex: "I was very shocked to have won. I took my shoes off and thought I was in for the night. I had to go up on stage barefoot.

"It was a lovely farewell."

The Christmas Day finale of Gavin and Stacey was watched by more than 19 million people, making it one of the largest TV audiences of the century.

In the episode Jones' character Nessa finally married Smithy, played by the show's co-creator James Corden.

By Your Side is her fourth novel.

It is about finding joy in the most unlikely connections, and the importance of holding on to friendship and community when life gets messy.

She said: "Linda Standish is a mystery solver with a difference.

"She tracks down people who have died who haven't left a next of kin.

"It is quite an uplifting story."

She added: "There is quite a lot of me in Linda. I've written it as a character monologue."

By Your Side is released on Thursday.

Jones said: "I'm going to have a bit of a launch party and have a few friends round."

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