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Gavin and Stacey: James Corden announces Christmas special

Getty Images James Corden and the cast and crew of Gavin and StaceyGetty Images
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.

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In a joint statement, Corden and Jones - who both also star in the show - said: "Over the last 10 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."

Ruth Jones says there is a new generation enjoying re-runs of Gavin and Stacey

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 10.3 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."

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Why we fell in love with Barry Island

PA Ruth Jones and James CordenPA
Nessa and Smithy - will be they be back together for Christmas?

Gavin and Stacey introduced the town of Barry in Wales to the masses and the sharp, witty one-liners, warm and believable characters and touching pathos had viewers hooked from the get-go.

Some reviewers felt the show lost something in its move to mainstream TV but they were few and far between.

Metro described the last Christmas special as the "greatest festive TV special ever".

And the show won a slew of awards, including two Baftas, four British Comedy awards and a National Television award.

It even featured a cameo appearance from former deputy PM John Prescott - an old flame of Nessa's (of course!)

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