A man who was an extra in the final of Gavin and Stacey and played one of Smithy’s stags has told what it was really like behind the scenes of the BBC show’s highly anticipated final episode.
Welsh actor Scott McGlynn, 37, appeared in the background in several scenes of the emotional Christmas Day special.
He even got his own personalized Smithy West Ham football shirt, which he donned as the boys turned up for the stag wearing it.
Scott said of the experience: ‘I was told they needed two or three deer, so I did a self-shot and then I became a deer, which was a lot of fun.
‘I loved working with the cast and crew, everyone is very friendly and welcoming. I’ve had some great conversations with Robert Wilfort, who plays Jason. In our scene we drank 0% alcohol beer, sometimes it felt like a real bachelor party or night out!’
He explained: ‘I filmed for four days in total and my first day was the wedding scene. We had a huge announcement from Ruth and James not to talk to anyone or share what’s going to happen, and now we know who he was going to marry and that he’s running out.
A man who was an extra in the Gavin and Stacey finale and played one of Smithy’s deer has told what it was really like behind the scenes of the highly anticipated final episode
Welsh actor Scott McGlynn, 37, was seen in the background of several scenes of the emotional Christmas Day special
“It was hard knowing everything that was happening and all your friends asking you, but for me it was a huge deal for people to watch it on Christmas Day and I’m not a spoiler guy.
“So by that wedding scene I pretty much knew how the ending was going to go.”
Speaking about the emotional mood on set, he said: “You felt the love in the room during filming, that’s for sure.
“I was in the wedding and stag scenes, so Ruth [Jones] wasn’t filming those days, but she was behind the camera.
“But I remember Ruth’s last day of filming was her birthday, where we all sang ‘Happy Birthday.’ There was a tearful speech which was beautiful and she gave us all cake which was a lovely end to the filming.”
He also detailed some of the extreme measures taken to keep Smithy’s girlfriend Sonia’s big return a secret.
The actor recalled, “I remember she was very hidden and no one saw her until the moment we filmed and then the signs gave it away.
“But some people got random names on wedding cards, so not too much was given away.”
It comes after Gavin and Stacey star Laura Aikman (Sonia) shared the adorable moment her parents discovered she was returning to the sitcom while watching the highly anticipated finale on Christmas Day.
Gavin and Stacey: The Finale attracted 12.5 million viewers, becoming the most watched show on Christmas Day (James Corden and Ruth Jones pictured as Smithy and Nessa)
Scott said of the experience: ‘I was told they needed two or three deer so I did a self-shot and then I became a deer which was a lot of fun (pictured fourth from left)
He revealed: ‘We drank 0% alcohol beer in our scene, sometimes it felt like a real hen party or night out!’
He even got his own personalized Smithy West Ham football shirt, which he donned as the boys turned up for the stag they were wearing.
Speaking about the emotional mood on set, he said: ‘You felt the love in the room during filming, that’s for sure (pictured centre-centre)
The episode had fans on the edge of their seats when Smithy’s (James Corden) fiancé was revealed as Laura’s character Sonia, instead of Ruth Jones’ Nessa.
Her appearance came as a shock to the nation, as Laura had been ‘hiding’ in a separate hotel during filming and she had signed a non-disclosure agreement that prevented her from revealing that she was returning.
As 12.5 million viewers gasped in shock at the big reveal, no one was more stunned than her beloved parents – who had no idea she was making her big comeback.
The next morning on Boxing Day, the actress took to Instagram to share a clip of the moment the big surprise was revealed to her unsuspecting parents.
She wrote: “The moment my family realizes Sonia is ruining Christmas again…” alongside the hilarious video.
Gavin And Stacey director Christine Gernon also took to Instagram after the finale aired to reveal the extent of the extreme measures taken to keep her comeback secret under wraps.
The director shared a photo of Laura with Alison Steadman, who plays Pam in the BBC show, and joked: ‘@lauraikman spent the entire g&s shoot hidden away.
‘I was staying at another hotel and wasn’t allowed to come to any wrap or film screenings, so no one knew Sonia was back. Such an amazing revelation. And she’s great as an actor and a person.”
Scott spent four days filming in Bary, but had to keep it a tight secret until the episode aired on Christmas Day
He added: ‘I loved working with the cast and crew, everyone is very friendly and welcoming’
It comes after Gavin and Stacey star Laura Aikman (Sonia) shared the moment her parents discovered she was returning to the sitcom while watching the Christmas Day finale
Laura was ‘hidden’ in a separate hotel and didn’t even tell her parents that her character Sonia was making a shock return to the BBC show as Smithy’s fiancée
Gavin And Stacey director Christine Gernon also took to Instagram after the finale aired to reveal the extent of the extreme measures taken to keep her comeback secret under wraps
The special was praised as ‘perfect’ by viewers, who were left in tears when the long-running show finally aired its final episode after 17 years.
The Christmas special and finale came five years after the show’s final Christmas episode in 2019.
It was praised as ‘perfect’ by viewers, who were left in tears when the long-running show finally aired its final episode after 17 years.
While fans watched the episode to see if Smithy had accepted Nessa’s proposal from the 2019 Christmas special, a five-year time jump revealed that he was indeed about to tie the knot, but all was not as it seemed.
It was revealed that Smithy had instead gotten engaged to his girlfriend Sonia, who failed to impress the Shipman/West clan when she met them in the last festive episode.
Fans were also treated to the surprise returns of Sheridan Smith as Smithy’s sister Rudi, and Pam Ferris as his mother Cath.
But when it came to Smithy’s big day, he realized Nessa was his one true love and called off the wedding.
The entire family jumped into Dave’s carriage and rushed to Southampton, where Nessa prepared to set sail, and in a scene seventeen years in the making, he declared his love for her and asked her to reconsider her departure.
While the ever-stoic Nessa insisted she wouldn’t propose to Smithy again, he instead reciprocated her offer from five years earlier, eventually getting down on one knee and asking her to marry him.
The episode then cut to Smithy and Nessa finally exchanging vows in an intimate ceremony in Barry, with the series ending with an emotional montage of the family marking the occasion at The Dolphin pub, before posing together for a family snap.