After unwrapping all of our presents first thing in the morning, Brits got a very special gift on Christmas Day at 9pm – the conclusion of Gavin and Stacey.
Although you might be heartbroken that the beloved BBC series has come to an end after 17 years, you can at least take solace in the fact that the characters got a happy ending.
Okay, so Sonia (Laura Aikman) got left at the altar, but the Barry-Essex gang all got what they wanted. Hurrah!
There was plenty of drama and tear-jerking moments in the final ever episode of the comedy, however, there was also a lot of hidden jokes and references slipped in too.
James Corden and Ruth Jones paid homage to some of the most hilarious storylines in Gavin and Stacey history in the Christmas special – but you might have missed a few.
Between dabbing away your tears of nostalgia and reaching for the Quality Street, you might have taken your eye off the ball for a brief second.
But don’t fret, as we’ve rounded up a list of all the subtle puns and Easter eggs which you might not have picked up on while watching the episode on 25 December.
‘Neil the Baby’ belting out The Beatles
I don’t know about you lot, but I was expecting ‘Neil the Baby’ to walk in wearing Pampers while a dummy was hanging out of his mouth.
But viewers got the shock of their life when they saw Smithy (Corden) and Nessa’s (Jones) son announcing that he is about to embark on a plumbing apprenticeship with his old man.
And there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when the 17-year-old – who has been played by Oscar Hartland since series three – whipped out his guitar at the wedding.
So, what was the significance of this poignant moment where he belted out ‘Blackbird‘ by The Beatles?
Well, it turns out that the actor is actually a budding musician who was in a grunge rock band called Redwood City, while he also dabbles in DJing.
Hartland auditioned on The Voice Kids last year, which is apparently the reason why the cast wanted him to croon at Smithy’s wedding – so he could show off his talents on TV once again.
Get the badge in
Smithy’s stag was supposed to be an epic trip down memory lane, where his gang of hilariously-nicknamed mates visited all his old haunts.
The itinerary itself was a reference to some of his memorable moments in Gavin and Stacey…I mean, who can forget the foam party with Snow Patrol’s ‘You Could Be Happy’ laid over it?
However, the failed stag do also had some more subtle Easter eggs slipped in it too.
When the lads turned up at the pub to celebrate, they all revealed that they were sporting West Ham footy shirts – much like how Smithy surprised them with personalised tops for Gavin’s final hurrah in series one.
But eagle-eyed fans spotted that Gavin (Mathew Horne) just couldn’t bring himself to be a traitor and sport the club’s badge, so he pinned a Tottenham Hotspur’s one on top instead.
As well as this, people noticed that Uncle Bryn (Rob Brydon) was sporting number 16 on his West Ham shirt – which was a nod to Smithy’s favourite player, Mark Noble.
Neil the Baby also donned a number 16 shirt in the 2019 reunion special, so the devil really is in the details.
Tic-Tacs
Nessa is known to be resourceful, but swapping a toothbrush and some toothpaste for Tic-Tac’s isn’t a tip we’ll be stealing from her.
In the finale, she packed her must-haves – AKA, her HRT and feminine wipes – into a carrier bag before flinging it in Bryn’s car boot ahead of their trip up to Essex.
When she was asked whether she’d brought her essentials for dental hygiene, Nessa brushed off everyone’s concerns and reassured them she was sorted.
After all, she was armed with a packet of Tic-Tac’s to ensure she had minty fresh breath…which is exactly how she equipped herself for an excursion in the first ever episode back in 2007.
When she was packing her bags to accompany Stacey to London to meet up with Gavin, she relied on the mints to get her through.
And she did end up getting lucky with Smithy that weekend – so take from that what you will.
The fishing trip
Gavin and Stacey fanatics have had sleepless nights about what went on during Bryn and Jason’s (Robert Wilfort) infamous fishing trip – but sadly, we still don’t know.
Dave Coaches (Steffan Rhodri) is the only other person in the world who knows, but sadly, he was interrupted by a smoke alarm when he was on the cusp of spilling all the gory details.
All that we managed to find out was that it ‘was cold, the tent was up and the sun was down, the fire was blazing, and the soup was bubbling in the billy can…’
And that’s all we’re ever going to know about the fishing trip, which has been a running joke throughout the series.
The characters reckon it’s better this way, with Wilfort recently explaining: “I’d like to say now and forever: the joke has always been you don’t find out what happened on the fishing trip. It’s funnier that way.”
Instead, you’ll have to let your imagination run wild.
KFC = DTF
If Gavin and Stacey (Joanna Page) had got their pals to a KFC drive-thru at the start of the Christmas episode, it would have saved a whole load of drama and heartache.
The finger lickin’ fried chicken always lights a fire under Smithy and Nessa, as the pair memorably got down and dirty after mulling over who would eat the last corn-on-the-cob in series two.
But in the finale episode, Smithy stepped out of the black cab that the gang were travelling in after it all got a bit too much for him – even though he later confessed he did ‘want’ to share a corn with Nessa again.
Viewers were hoping the pair might hash everything out and get back together after he exited the taxi, but ever the gentleman, Smithster stayed faithful to Sonia and trotted off home instead.
Still, the reminder of the notorious corn-on-the-cob seduction technique is one which was much appreciated by viewers.
Gwen’s omelettes
If Gwen leaves a lasting legacy, it’s got to be how handy she is with a pan and what a crackin’ omelette she can make.
She’s whipped up all sorts of variations of the egg-based dish over the last 17 years and has offered one to every single person who has ever stepped near her stove.
They are talked about that much in the series that a lot of us end up fancying an omelette ourselves after binge-watching old episodes of Gavin and Stacey.
Therefore, it was essential that Gwen’s culinary delights got a mention in the Christmas episode.
Just like old times, Stacey asked her mother to make her and Ness an omelette – and the dish later ended up doing Bryn and Jason a massive favour.
Gwen forgot that she had put the pan on while all the Dave Coaches and fishing trip drama unfolded, until the smoke alarm alerted her and she yelled: “Oh my god, the omelettes!”
Talk about timing.
Dear old Doris
Although a lot of familiar faces returned for the finale, there were a few memorable characters who were missing from the line-up.
One of these was actress Margaret John, who played the comically vulgar yet still adorable neighbour, Doris, on the hit show.
She had a host of comical one-liners and words of wisdom to share throughout Gavin and Stacey, but sadly, the actress passed away in 2011 aged 84.
John’s character was known for oversharing about her sex life, so it was only right that a subtle joke about her raunchy antics was slipped into the final episode.
You might have missed it, but at one point, Gwen said: “Doris used to hire a male stripper on a Sunday morning. Just for herself. After church.”
Dawn then responded: “Aww, what was she like?”
A fitting tribute for a sex-positive queen like dear old Doris.
Pam’s iconic phrases
Pam (Alison Steadman) and Mick Shipman (Larry Lamb) are Gavin and Stacey icons, as well as relationship goals.
But Gavin’s mother is the one who has given us countless comical quotes over the years while readjusting to life without her ‘little prince’ living at home in Essex.
Therefore, it was an absolute must that some of her most memorable lines were included in the final episode.
For example, she once comically told her daughter-in-law Stacey that she ‘wants to get a life’ as what she told her ‘was really boring’.
In the finale, Pam instead told Mick to ‘get out more’ and ‘get a life’ as he fired golf balls around their house while watching sports on the telly.
Of course, there was plenty of opportunities for her to utter ‘Oh my Christ’ too – but did you clock the return of her iconic slap?
She gave her best pal Dawn a smack around the face to stop her spiralling, in a scene echoing the one in the bogs of a restaurant in season two.
Sugar t**s
Nessa has had a few interesting nicknames throughout the series, but the one Dave Coaches bestowed her with is certainly the most memorable.
Throughout their relationship in the early days of Gavin and Stacey, her other half would affectionately refer to her as ‘sugar t**s’ – no matter who was around to hear it.
However, it seems that the term is simply Dave’s preferred nickname for his current lover, as he shockingly used it to refer to Gwen.
After their secret affair was rumbled because he made an absolute racket upstairs, he later told her: “Love you, sugar t**s.”
So move over Ness, as there’s a new sugar t**s on the block in Barry.
Owain Hughes
Another running joke also got some much needed airtime in the finale – Owain Hughes.
In the first episode of season three, Gavin tried to get used to working with his new Welsh colleagues and is introduced to the infamous bloke played by Steven Meo.
As the pair introduce themselves, his new co-worker says: “Owain Hughes. And before you ask, no I don’t!”
Bizarre, we know – but in the final episode, Gavin uses the pun himself, before adding: “Once you know, you know, right?”
Sadly, the rest of us are still in the dark…but it turns out this was done on purpose, in a similar fashion to the fishing trip.
Meo recently revealed that it was a ‘red herring, designed to wind people up and spark debate’.
