Gavin & Stacey star Laura Aikman reveals behind the scenes secrets of THAT wedding scene including the incredible tale of where Sonia’s bridal gown was found
Gavin & Stacey star Laura Aikman has revealed more behind-the-scenes secrets of the finale after her character’s return was kept hidden from fans.
Laura returned as Smithy’s girlfriend Sonia in the Christmas Day finale, delivering a shocking plot twist for fans when it was revealed in the opening scenes that she and James Corden’s character were preparing to get married.
Laura’s casting was kept secret so as not to spoil the curveball for fans, with the actress having to stay in a separate hotel from the rest of the cast during the shoot and sign a non-disclosure agreement.
But the actress is excitedly sharing a look at her time on set in the days since the finale aired.
On Sunday, Laura posted photos of her character’s wedding dress, revealing the lengths the cast and crew went to keep Sonia’s return a secret.
Laura shared the Insta photos of herself posing in her wedding dress on set: ‘We couldn’t go shopping for wedding dresses (because of the secrecy), so this one was from Vinted (probably from someone who saw the show!)
Gavin & Stacey star Laura Aikman has revealed more behind-the-scenes secrets of the finale after her character’s return was kept hidden from fans
“Shout out to our costume designer #ShanJames who had to make a huge adjustment to it because 48 hours before we shot the wedding it didn’t fit.”
Incredibly, the original owner of the wedding dress was soon revealed, when the show’s costume designer Shan James responded to the post.
‘Thank you beautiful lady! It was a pleasure to dress you with great pleasure, even though it was a huge job to try on that beautiful dress for you,” Shan told Laura before revealing where she bought the dress.
‘It came from FB Marktplaats and the lady selling the dress thought I was ‘well, unreliable’ while I was being so secretive!!’
Shan added that she received a message from the clothing seller on Boxing Day, which she shared with Laura.
‘I just watched Gavin & Stacey and had the strangest feeling that this was my wedding dress that Sonia was wearing. May I ask if you used it for that?’ read the message.
Shan replied, writing, “Hi there! I tried to find these messages yesterday so I could let you know exactly that!’
‘I couldn’t say anything because it was top secret and I couldn’t take Laura into a shop in case she was spotted. Now you can tell the world! I had to adjust it quite a bit to fit her, but it was worth it, I think. She looked beautiful, so thank you very much.”
On Sunday, Laura posted photos of her character’s wedding dress, showing the lengths the cast and crew went to keep Sonia’s return a secret.
Laura shared the Insta photos of herself posing in her wedding dress on set, explaining: ‘We couldn’t go wedding dress shopping (because of the secrecy) so this one was from Vinted’
The delighted seller responded: ‘That’s great, it’s my absolute favorite show! I had good bumps when I looked at it!’
“I saw the panel on the back, oh bless! This is so great, I’m all made up, thanks for letting me know what a cool job you have too! .’
Laura also revealed to fans how she had to wear a wig during filming, explaining: ‘Our amazing make-up designer #marcuswhitney found me this amazing wig, yes IT’S A WIG. It was fitted and styled by the beautiful @alisonwebbxxmakeup, who also did my make-up and hid with me.’
In response to a fan’s question about why she didn’t just show off her natural hair, the actress revealed that she was juggling multiple jobs. ‘My hair was dark for another job. I went back and forth from x,” she admitted.
After the show aired, Laura took to Instagram to share the adorable moment her parents discovered she was returning to the sitcom as Sonia while watching the finale.
Incredibly, the original owner of the wedding dress was soon revealed, when the show’s costume designer Shan James responded to the post
Shan added that she received a message from the clothing seller on Boxing Day, which she shared with Laura
Her appearance came as a shock to the nation, as Laura was ‘hidden’ 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.
Alongside the clip, she wrote: ‘The moment my family realizes Sonia is ruining Christmas again…’
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.
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.”
Fans were left in shock at the start of the episode when it was revealed that Sonia and Smithy would get married after Nessa proposed at the end of the 2019 Christmas special.
Her appearance came as a shock to the nation, as Laura was ‘hidden’ in a separate hotel during filming and she had signed a non-disclosure agreement that prevented her from announcing her return.
Gavin and Stacey: The Finale attracted a whopping 12.5 million viewers, becoming the most watched show on Christmas Day.
Viewers had waited five years to learn the fate of the BBC sitcom’s beloved characters and to see if Smithy had accepted Nessa’s proposal.
The final episode was praised as ‘perfect’ by viewers, who were left in tears as the long-running show finally aired its final episode after 17 years.
The BBC won the battle of the channels when it came to viewing figures, as 10 million people also watched the return of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.