Gavin and Stacey | Are James Corden and Ruth Jones planning a follow-up to 2019’s Christmas Special?

Are we about to learn the fate of Smithy and Nessa five years after the last “Gavin and Stacey” Christmas special? That’s what Deadline is currently reporting, with the outlet suggesting that Corden, having wrapped up his time in the United States, and Jones could be filming the new special as early as this summer.

When we last left Wales, Nessa ended up proposing to Smithy (played by Jones and Corden respectively), with many fans hoping that cliffhanger to the series gets the happy ending many have wanted the pair to have. The prospect of a follow-up to 2019’s special, which saw a record viewership of 18 million viewers when it first aired on the BBC, has been made more likely in recent years since Corden returned to the UK after his stint on “The Late Late Show” in the United States.

The 2019 special wasn’t without its controversy, however, as the creators faced backlash for including a karaoke scene featuring the controversial lyric from “Fairytale of New York” by The Pogues, leading to subsequent edits in repeats and streaming platforms. Despite this, many were left on tenterhooks after the cliff-hanger proposal at the end of the episode, with much speculation and discussion about what happened to Smithy and Nessa next - almost akin to what happened to Tim and Daisy after "Spaced" finished airing on Channel 4.

While details about the upcoming special remain under wraps, it's anticipated that the main cast, including Matthew Horne, Joanna Page, Rob Brydon, Alison Steadman, Larry Lamb, and Julia Davis, will likely return. Deadline reached out to production companies Baby Cow (owned by Steve Coogan), Fullwell 73 and the BBC, who all declined to comment on the rumours.

“Gavin & Stacey's” revival is the latest in a string of returning BBC comedies, with Coogan's Alan Partridge comedy doc series being among the recent announcements.

Where can I watch the previous seasons of "Gavin and Stacey" online?

The entire "Gavin and Stacey" saga is currently available to stream on demand in the United Kingdom through the BBC iPlayer service.