Skip to content

Peter Kay's Car Share finale - the verdict

**WARNING Spoilers follow**

Peter Kay and Sian Gibson in Car Share
Car share buddies or Romeo and Juliet?

It was the final episode that fans had been hoping for - Peter Kay's Car Share drew to a close with the "will they, won't they" relationship between John and Kayleigh finally resolved. Sort of.

The second series of the Bafta-winning BBC One show ended on an emotional cliffhanger last year when Kay's character John failed to reciprocate the advances of his colleague.

Kayleigh (Sian Gibson) bravely declared her love for John (Kay), but when he refused to say how he felt, she walked out of his car - and, seemingly, his life.

Viewers were dismayed when Kay revealed there were no plans to pen a third series, but the Bolton comic later announced two new episodes - Monday's special finale and an improvised standalone show, Car Share: Unscripted, which was shown earlier this month.

What people think of Car Share finale

And it was Monday's finale that gave the fans what they wanted, as John finally let his guard down to let friendship flourish into love.

Or at least to let Kayleigh hold his hand on the bus - well, it's a start.

The show's writer tweeted that he was glad to have given the public a happy ending.

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The Telegraph's Veronica Lee gave the episode five stars out of five, describing it as "perfect, uproarious, adorable".

But Simon Binns, from the Manchester Evening News, was a little less impressed: "It's cheesy, feel good, but lacks the drama of the previous episode."

Most viewers were delighted with the turn of events.

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

TV presenter Eamonn Holmes was also a fan.

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

Eagle-eyed footy fans spotted that the sign on Old Trafford had been changed from Manchester Utd to Manchester City.

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

And some were left hoping the door was still open - rather than ripped off - for more instalments in the future.

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

Other fans wanted the track John wrote for Kayleigh in the finale to be released as a single, and while rumours abounded that Gary Barlow had written it (after the Take That video for Back for Good featured in the episode), Coleman denied it.

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

Among the happy viewers, there were a few naysayers, however.

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read  and  before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

More than 100,000 people had signed a petition demanding a proper pay-off for John and Kayleigh after the second series ended last year. (Gibson joked: "I signed it... twice.")

BBC Controller of Commissioning Comedy, Shane Allen, told the Radio Times earlier this month: "It's absolutely about giving the audience what they want.

Car Share won two Bafta TV Awards in 2016, for best scripted comedy and best male performance in a comedy programme.

A lucky 3,000 fans attended three special preview charity screenings of the finale in April but vowed to not reveal the ending.

Although Monday night's episode was billed as the last ever, Gibson has hinted that it could return.

Asked in a BBC Q&A, the actress and writer replied: "Never say never."

Kay has kept a low profile since announcing in December that he was cancelling his future work projects, including his stand-up tour, for family reasons.

Presentational grey line

Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].